This can affect any hydraulic tappet 4 valve motor. I have known of some Rover 2 valve V8's to exhibit this also.

The key is always that the engine was started and run for maybe 20 seconds a couple of times and then starts, runs rough and dies after a couple of seconds and then won't start on the 4th start.

I had a 96 850 do this to me a couple of years ago. I started it to move it so I could get the tractor through the drive and then moved it back later that day when I was done w/tractor. The next morning it started, sputtered and died and then on next start attempt it half-ran then lost all the compression and spun freely w/no attempt to run.

I charged the battery all day and then cranked on it 1 min per try with throttke part open and it cranked and ran rough and then smoothed out during the 3rd min long cranking effort.

The car was due for an oil change when this occurred (5000 + miles on oil).

I dorve it around after it started and did an "Italian tune-up"

and it was fine after that.

I read a study that said that any addition of fuel additives to fuel makes this more likely to happen as a buildup of the combusted fuel additives accumulates on the exh valve stems.

This is one reason carmakers generally do not recommend fuel additives (except for THEIR own additives which are likely formulated to minimize this and also are a source of profit).