While Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Jaguar Were Building Exotic V12 Engines, GMC Made a Cast Iron Pushrod 702 CI 1,485 Lb. Torque Behemoth
Much as the V-8 engine format has been closely associated with American automakers, V-12s are generally regarded as the province of European luxury manufacturers. Consequently, the latter type of engine is widely thought of as sophisticated, at least next to the more plebian bent-eight.
Even when General Motors considered making a V-12 for Cadillac in the 1960s, the 12-cylinder “V Future” engine eschewed conventional Detroit engineering like cast-iron blocks and pushrods for aluminum heads, aluminum blocks, and overhead cams. At the time, however, the General was already making a V-12—a 1485-pound, 702-cubic-inch behemoth called the Twin Six. It came from GM’s GMC truck division.