In response to an operation stop instruction of an engine, the technique of the invention carries out control to make the engine stop at a specific position that is far from a first compression stroke at a subsequent start of the engine, for example, at a target stop position &thgr;t set at a top dead center of a piston in a proximate compression stroke, which is immediately before the first compression stroke. In the first compression stroke at the subsequent start of the engine, the revolving speed of the engine stopped at the specific position is significantly higher than the revolving speed of the engine stopped at a position close to the first compression stroke. Such control thus ensures a smooth compression stroke at the subsequent start of the engine.