 The engineer René Vuaillat designed an all-new small 4-cylinder engine which would eventually evolve from .Consisting of a cast iron block topped with an aluminum cylinder head, this engine was characterized by its camshaft placed high in the block with short pushrods, and, unusually for the time, five crankshaft bearings.From the first test, it showed more torque and considerably more power than the Billancourt, whose design dated back to 1944.