A V4 engine is a V form engine

V engine

A V engine, or Vee engine is a common configuration for an internal combustion engine. The cylinders and pistons are aligned, in two separate planes or 'banks', so that they appear to be in a "V" when viewed along the axis of the crankshaft...

 with four cylinder

Cylinder (engine)

A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work...

s and three main bearings.
Lancia

Lancia

Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...

 produced several narrow-angle V4 engines

Lancia V4 engine

Lancia pioneered the V engine design, producing the first V6 as well as the first V4s. Several different V4 families were produced from the 1920s through 1960s.-Lambda:...

 from the 1920s through 1960s for cars like the Lambda

Lancia Lambda

The Lancia Lambda is an innovative automobile produced from 1922 through 1931. It was the first car to feature a load-bearing monocoque-type body, and it also pioneered the use of an independent suspension . Vincenzo Lancia even invented a shock absorber for the car and it had excellent four wheel...

, Augusta

Lancia Augusta

The Lancia Augusta was produced by Italian automanufacturer Lancia between 1933-1936. The car was powered by a 1196 cc Lancia V4 engine.During the 1920s, Lancia had been known as producers of sports cars and middle sized sedans: the smaller Augusta represented a departure from that tradition, and...

, Artena

Lancia Artena

The Lancia Artena was produced between 1931 and 1936 by the Italian automanufacturer Lancia. The car was powered by a 2 litre Lancia V4 engine....

, Aprilia

Lancia Aprilia

Lancia Aprilia is automobile manufactured by Lancia, one of the first designed using wind tunnel in collaboration with Battista Farina and Politecnico di Torino, achieving a record low drag coefficient of 0.47....

, Ardea

Lancia Ardea

The Lancia Ardea was a small sedan produced by the Turin firm between 1939 and 1953. Its unusually short bonnet/hood reportedly contained the smallest V4 engine ever commercialized in an automobile....

, Appia

Lancia Appia

The Lancia Appia was a car introduced in 1953 as a replacement for the Ardea and in production for 10 years. The Appia was the last in a long line of Lancia production cars dating back to the Lancia Lambda to use the famous sliding pillar front suspension...

, and Fulvia

Lancia Fulvia

The Lancia Fulvia is an Italian car introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1963 by Lancia. It was produced by that company through 1976. Fulvias are notable for their role in automobile racing history, including winning the International Rally Championship in 1972...

.

Ford

Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

 of Europe produced two totally different V4 engines with a balance shaft

Balance shaft

In piston engine engineering, a balance shaft is an eccentric weighted shaft which offsets vibrations in engine designs that are not inherently balanced...

, one in the UK and one in Germany:

• The British Ford Essex V4 engine
  Ford Essex V4 engine
  The Essex V4 was a V4 engine from Ford Motor Company made at the plant in Essex. The engine was available in two capacities, 1663 cc and 1996 cc, differing only in stroke. This engine was used on the Ford Corsair, Capri Mk I, Consul/Granada Mk I, Ford Zephyr 4 Mk IV and certain early models of the...
  
  
• The German Ford Taunus V4 engine
  Ford Taunus V4 engine
  The Taunus V4 was a V4 piston engine with one balance shaft, introduced by Ford Motor Company in Germany in 1962. The German V4 was built in the Cologne plant and powered the Ford Taunus and German versions of the Granada, Capri and Transit...
  
   (also used by Saab
  Saab Automobile
  Saab Automobile AB, better known as Saab , is a Swedish car manufacturer owned by Dutch automobile manufacturer Swedish Automobile NV, formerly Spyker Cars NV. It is the exclusive automobile Royal Warrant holder as appointed by the King of Sweden...
  
  )

The Ukrainian manufacturer ZAZ

ZAZ

ZAZ or Zaporizhia Automobile Building Plant is the main automobile-manufacturer of Ukraine, based in the south-eastern city of Zaporizhia. It is also known for its former mother company name, AvtoZAZ...

 also used an air-cooled V4 with a balance shaft

Balance shaft

In piston engine engineering, a balance shaft is an eccentric weighted shaft which offsets vibrations in engine designs that are not inherently balanced...

, produced by MeMZ

MeMZ

MeMZ is short for "Melitopol Engine Plant" . The factory was founded in 1908 by a Mennonite entrepreneur by the name of Zaferman. Until 1925 the factory focused mainly on diesel engines specifically for applications in agricultural machinery and fishing ships...

 and used in Zaporozhets cars.

The 1962 Ford "Mustang I" rear-engine concept roadster was powered by a German-made 1,500 cc V4 engine.
V4 engines are mostly found nowadays in motorcycle

Motorcycle

A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...

s, typically transversely mounted.