Three 1905 Rolls-Royce V-8 automobiles were manufactured using the company’s first V-8 engine design but only one example was sold, a car using the two seat "Legalimit" body.
The result was a series of V8 engines known internally as the "L410", the name relating to its bore size of 4.10 inches, in accordance with the company practice.
94MY (model year) saw the introduction of a serpentine drive belt front-end, revised combustion system and an integrated engine cover.
Engine designers Derek Jackson and Geoff Attwood performed the majority of work under Les Maddock and Colin Weston, the first result of which was the N80, a 4-valve, double overhead camshaft, 5.0 litre V8.
The project was stopped around 1991 with further development of the L410 engine that enabled emissions requirements to be met using a pre-catalyst assembly at substantially lower investment.