![Panhard 24](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Panhard_24.jpg)
Panhard was a French motor vehicle manufacturer that began as one of the first makers of
automobile
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarded ...
s. It was a manufacturer of light tactical and military vehicles. Its final incarnation, now owned by
Renault Trucks Defense
Renault Trucks is a French commercial truck manufacturer with corporate headquarters at Saint-Priest near Lyon. Originally part of Renault, it has been a subsidiary of the Volvo Group since 2001.
From its beginnings in 1978 to 2002, the comp ...
, was formed by the acquisition of Panhard by
Auverland
Auverland (''Société nouvelle des automobiles Auverland''), now grouped with Panhard, is a French manufacturer of Jeep-like four-wheel-drive and armoured fighting vehicles. It bought Panhard from Peugeot in April 2005, and in a reverse takeov ...
in 2005, and then by Renault in 2012. In 2018 Renault Trucks Defense,
ACMAT
ACMAT (''Ateliers de Construction Mécanique de L'Atlantique'', also known as ALM-ACMAT) ( en, Atlantic Mechanical Engineering Workshops) is a French manufacturer of cross-country and tactical military vehicles since 1958. Known for their reliabi ...
and Panhard combined under a single brand, Arquus.
History
Panhard was originally called Panhard et Levassor, and was established as an automobile manufacturing concern by
René Panhard
Louis François René Panhard (27 May 1841 – 16 July 1908) was a French engineer, merchant and a pioneer of the automobile industry in France.
Born in Paris, he studied engineering at the Collège Sainte-Barbe and then graduated from École Cen ...
and
Émile Levassor
Émile Constant Levassor (21 January 1843 – 14 April 1897) was a French engineer and a pioneer of the automobile industry and car racing in France.
Biography
Levassor was born in Marolles-en-Hurepoix. After studying engineering and graduat ...
in 1887.
Early years
Panhard et Levassor sold their first automobile in 1890, based on a Daimler engine license. Levassor obtained his licence from Paris lawyer Edouard Sarazin, a friend and representative of
Gottlieb Daimler
Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler (; 17 March 1834 – 6 March 1900) was a German engineer, industrial designer and industrialist born in Schorndorf ( Kingdom of Württemberg, a federal state of the German Confederation), in what is now Germany. He w ...
's interests in France. Following Sarazin's 1887 death, Daimler commissioned Sarazin's widow
Louise to carry on her late husband's agency. The Panhard et Levassor license was finalised by Louise, who married Levassor in 1890. Daimler and Levassor became friends, and shared improvements with one another.
These first vehicles set many modern standards, but each was a one-off design. They used a
clutch pedal
Car controls are the components in automobiles and other powered road vehicles, such as trucks and buses, used for driving and parking.
While controls like steering wheels and pedals have existed since the invention of cars, other controls have ...
to operate a chain-driven
gearbox
Propulsion transmission is the mode of transmitting and controlling propulsion power of a machine. The term ''transmission'' properly refers to the whole drivetrain, including clutch, gearbox, prop shaft (for rear-wheel drive vehicles), diff ...
. The vehicle also featured a front-mounted
radiator
Radiators are heat exchangers used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in cars, buildings, and electronics.
A radiator is always ...
. An 1895 Panhard et Levassor is credited with the first modern
transmission
Transmission may refer to:
Medicine, science and technology
* Power transmission
** Electric power transmission
** Propulsion transmission, technology allowing controlled application of power
*** Automatic transmission
*** Manual transmission
** ...
. For the 1894
Paris–Rouen Rally, Alfred Vacheron equipped his with a
steering wheel
A steering wheel (also called a driving wheel (UK), a hand wheel, or simply wheel) is a type of steering control in vehicles.
Steering wheels are used in most modern land vehicles, including all mass-production automobiles, buses, light an ...
, believed to be one of the earliest employments of the principle.
In 1891, the company built its first all-Levassor design,
[Georgano, p.17.] a "state of the art" model: the ''
Système Panhard
In automotive design, a FR, or front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout is one where the engine is located at the front of the vehicle and driven wheels are located at the rear via a drive shaft. This was the traditional automobile layout for most ...
'' consisted of four wheels, a
front-mounted engine with
rear wheel drive, and a crude sliding-gear transmission, sold at 3500 ''franc''s.
(It would remain the standard until
Cadillac
The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed ...
introduced
synchromesh
A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission system, where gear change ...
in 1928.) This was to become the standard layout for automobiles for most of the next century. The same year, Panhard et Levassor shared their Daimler engine license with bicycle maker
Armand Peugeot, who formed his own car company.
In 1895, ''Panhard et Levassor'' vehicles finished first and second in the
Paris–Bordeaux–Paris race, one piloted solo by Levassor, for 48¾hr. However, during the
1896 Paris–Marseille–Paris race, Levassor was fatally injured due to a crash while trying to avoid hitting a dog, and died in Paris the following year.
Arthur Krebs
Arthur Constantin Krebs (16 November 1850 in Vesoul, France – 22 March 1935 in Quimperlé, France) was a French officer and pioneer in automotive engineering.
Life
Collaborating with Charles Renard, he piloted Timeline of aviation - 19 ...
succeeded Levassor as General Manager in 1897, and held the job until 1916. He turned the Panhard et Levassor Company into one of the largest and most profitable manufacturers of automobiles before
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
.
Panhards won numerous races from 1895 to 1903. Panhard et Levassor developed the
Panhard rod
A Panhard rod (also called Panhard bar, track bar, or track rod) is a suspension link that provides lateral location of the axle. Originally invented by the Panhard automobile company of France in the early twentieth century, this device has been ...
, which came to be used in many other types of automobiles as well.
From 1910 Panhard worked to develop engines without conventional valves, using under license the sleeve valve technology that had been patented by the American
Charles Yale Knight
Charles Yale Knight (born 1868-1940 in Indiana) was an entrepreneur and inventor of the sleeve valve technology. His engines would be used in the early cars, British tanks, and British aircraft. The Knight engine technology for automobiles was us ...
. Between 1910 and 1924 the Panhard & Levassor catalogue listed plenty of models with conventional valve engines, but these were offered alongside cars powered by sleeve valve power units. Following various detailed improvements to the sleeve valve technology by Panhard's own engineering department, from 1924 till 1940 all Panhard cars used
sleeve valve engines
A sleeve ( ang, slīef, a word allied to ''wikt:slip#Verb, slip'', cf. Dutch language, Dutch ) is the part of a garment that covers the arm, or through which the arm passes or slips.
The sleeve is a characteristic of fashion seen in almost eve ...
.
First World War
Under the presidency of
Raymond Poincaré
Raymond Nicolas Landry Poincaré (, ; 20 August 1860 – 15 October 1934) was a French statesman who served as President of France from 1913 to 1920, and three times as Prime Minister of France.
Trained in law, Poincaré was elected deputy in ...
, which ran from 1913 till 1920, Panhard & Levassor's 18CV and 20CV models were the official presidential cars.
During the
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
Panhard, like other leading automobile producers, concentrated on war production, including large numbers of military trucks, V12-cylinder aero-engines, gun components, and large 75 and 105 diameter shells.
[
The military were also keen on the sleeve valve engined Panhard 20HP.][ General Joffre himself used two 35HP Panhard Type X35s with massive 4-cylinder engines for his personal transport, and these were frequently to be seen by Parisians carrying military leaders between the front-line and the ]Élysée Palace
The Élysée Palace (french: Palais de l'Élysée; ) is the official residence of the President of the French Republic. Completed in 1722, it was built for nobleman and army officer Louis Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, who had been appointed Gove ...
.[
]
Between two world wars
Following the return to peace in 1918, Panhard resumed passenger car production in March 1919 with the 10HP Panhard Type X19, which used a 4-cylinder engine. This was followed three months later by three more 4-cylinder models which will have been familiar to any customers whose memories pre-dated the war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
, but they now incorporated ungraded electrics and a number of other modifications.[ For the 15th Paris Motor Show, in October 1919, Panhard were displaying four models, all with four cylinder engines, as follows:][
:* Panhard Type X19 2,150 cc / 10 HP
:* Panhard Type X31 2,275 cc / 12 HP
:::''(This replaced the 12 HP Panhard Type 25 for 1920.)''
:* Panhard Type X28 3,175 cc / 16 HP
:* Panhard Type X29 4,850 cc / 20 HP
By 1925, all Panhard's cars were powered by Knight sleeve valve engines that used steel ]sleeves
A sleeve ( ang, slīef, a word allied to '' slip'', cf. Dutch ) is the part of a garment that covers the arm, or through which the arm passes or slips.
The sleeve is a characteristic of fashion seen in almost every country and time period, ac ...
. The steel sleeves were thinner and lighter than the cast iron ones that had been fitted in Panhard sleeve valve engines since 1910, and this already gave rise to an improved friction coefficient permitting engines to run at higher speeds.[ To reduce further the risk of engines jamming, the outer sleeves, which are less thermally stressed than the inner sleeves, were coated on their inner sides with an anti-friction material, employing a patented technique with which Panhard engineers had been working since 1923. This was one of several improvements applied by Panhard engineers to the basic ]Knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
sleeve-valve engine concept.[
In 1925 a model set the world record for the fastest hour run, an average of 185.51 km/h (115.26 mph).
A surprise appeared on the Panhard stand at the 20th Paris Motor Show in October 1926, in the shape of the manufacturer's first six-cylinder model since before the ]war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
. The new Panhard 16CV "Six" came with a 3445cc engine and sat on a wheelbase.[ At the show it was priced, in bare chassis form, at 58,000 francs.][ Of the nine models displayed for the 1927 model year, seven featured four-cylinder engines, ranging in capacity from 1480cc (10CV) to 4845cc (20CV), and in price from 31,000 francs to 75,000 francs (all in bare chassis form).][ Also on show was an example of the 8-cylinder 6350cc (35CV) "Huit" model which Panhard had offered since 1921 and which at the 1926 show was priced by the manufacturer in bare chassis form at 99,000 francs.][
When Panhard presented their 1931 line-up at the ]Paris Motor Show
The Paris Motor Show (french: Mondial de l'Automobile) is a biennial auto show in Paris. Held during October, it is one of the most important auto shows, often with many new production automobile and concept car debuts. The show presently take ...
in October 1930, their last two four-cylinder models had been withdrawn, along with the 10CV six-cylider Type X59. Instead they concentrated on their "S-series" cars, designated " Panhard CS" and "Panhard DS" according to engine size, and introduced a year earlier.[ Publicity of the time indicated the "S" stood for "Voitures surbaissées" (cars having an "underslung" chassis,) but, clearly captivated by the power of alliteration, added that "S" also indicated cars that were "...souples, supérieures, stables, spacieuses, silencieuses, sans soupapes (ie using valveless cylinders)...".][ Four of the five Panhards exhibited featured increasingly lavish and pricey 6-cylinder engined cars, their engine sizes ranging from 2.35-litres to 3.5-litres.][ There was also an 8-cylinder Panhard Type X67 on display, with a generous wheelbase and listed, even in bare chassis form, at 85,000 francs.][
Panhard et Levassor's last pre-war car was the unusually styled monocoque ]Dynamic
Dynamics (from Greek δυναμικός ''dynamikos'' "powerful", from δύναμις ''dynamis'' "power") or dynamic may refer to:
Physics and engineering
* Dynamics (mechanics)
** Aerodynamics, the study of the motion of air
** Analytical dynam ...
series, first introduced in 1936.
Panhard et Levassor also produced railbuses, including some for the metre gauge
Metre-gauge railways are narrow-gauge railways with track gauge of or 1 metre.
The metre gauge is used in around of tracks around the world. It was used by European colonial powers, such as the French, British and German Empires. In Europe, la ...
Chemin de fer du Finistère
Chemin or Le Chemin may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Le chemin'' (Emmanuel Moire album), 2013 album by French singer Emmanuel Moire
* ''Le chemin'' (Kyo album), 2003 album by French band Kyo
** "Le Chemin" (song), title song from same-titled Kyo ...
.
Post-World War II era
After World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
the company was renamed Panhard (without "Levassor"), and produced light cars such as the Dyna X, Dyna Z, PL 17, 24 CT and 24 BT. The company had long noted the weight advantages of aluminum, and this as well as postwar government steel rationing (designed to limit new car models to ensure an orderly return to production at the major firms), encouraged the firm to proceed with the expensive alternative of making the bodies and several other components out of aluminum. Thus the Dyna X and early Dyna Z series 1 had aluminum bodies. Unfortunately, cost calculations by Jean Panhard, the inheriting son and managing director of the firm, failed to account for the extra cost of aluminum vs steel. His calculations were made for the sheet metal panel area actually utilized per body shell, and did not account for the scrap of each of the stampings making up the shell. Once in production, a re-examination showed a cost of 55,700fr for aluminum shells and only 15,600fr for steel. The use of aluminum had pushed the firm close to bankruptcy, and a hurried engineering job returned the firm to steel. Thus, the later Dyna Z (from mid September 1955) and the successor PL 17 bodies were steel, and the major stampings retained the heavier gauge intended for durability with aluminum, so as to avoid complete replacement of the stamping dies.
The air-cooled flat-twin engine of the Dyna was used by Georges Irat
The Georges Irat was a French automobile manufactured by engine builder Georges Irat from 1921 to 1953.
Between two World Wars
The company's first product was an ohv 1990cc four-cylinder car designed by Maurice Gaultier who had been with Delag ...
for his "Voiture du Bled" (VdB) off-road vehicle, built in Morocco in small numbers in the early 1950s.
Drawing inspiration from the Panhard Dynavia concept, the styling of the Dyna Z was distinctively smooth and rounded, with an emphasis on aerodynamics and an overall minimalist design. The 24CT was a later (from summer 1963 on) stylish 2+2 seater; the 24BT being a version of the same with a longer wheelbase and space for four.
For a period after the war, the Panhard-based Monopole racing cars received unofficial support from Panhard (as did DB and other clients such as Robert Chancel), using it to good effect in winning the "Index of Performance" class at Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
in 1950, 1951, and 1952. In 1953, Panhard moved on to a more direct involvement with Chancel, which however came to an end after the deadly 1955 Le Mans.[ In the latter half of the 1950s and the early 1960s, the Deutsch Bonnet racers ("DB Panhard") picked up this mantle and went on to dominate the "Index of Performance" as well as other small-engine racing classes.
The last Panhard passenger car was built in 1967. After assembling 2CV panel trucks for Citroën to utilize capacity during falling sales, and raising operating cash by selling ownership progressively to Citroën, respectively to its mother company Michelin (full control as of 1965), in autumn of 1967 the civilian branch was absorbed by Citroën, and the marque was retired. From 1968 Panhard only made armored vehicles.][Panhard: The Flat Twin Cars 1945-1967 David Beare]
In 2004, Panhard lost a competition to another manufacturer of military vehicles, Auverland
Auverland (''Société nouvelle des automobiles Auverland''), now grouped with Panhard, is a French manufacturer of Jeep-like four-wheel-drive and armoured fighting vehicles. It bought Panhard from Peugeot in April 2005, and in a reverse takeov ...
, for the choice of the future PVP of the French Army. This allowed Auverland to purchase Panhard, then a subsidiary of PSA Peugeot Citroën
The PSA Group (), legally known as Peugeot S.A. (Peugeot Société Anonyme, trading as Groupe PSA; formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles ...
, in 2005. However, the fame of Panhard being greater, it was decided to retain the name; the PVP designed by Auverland would bear a Panhard badge.
In October 2012, Renault Trucks Defense, division of Swedish Volvo Group
The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...
since 2001, finalized the acquisition of Panhard for 62.5 million euros.
Today the only use of the name Panhard is in the Panhard rod
A Panhard rod (also called Panhard bar, track bar, or track rod) is a suspension link that provides lateral location of the axle. Originally invented by the Panhard automobile company of France in the early twentieth century, this device has been ...
(also called Panhard bar), a suspension link invented by Panhard that provides lateral location of the axle. This device has been widely used on other automobiles or as an aftermarket upgrade to rear axles for vintage American cars.
Models
Panhard car models
Cars with Panhard technology
Partial lists of trucks and buses (not armoured)
Current military models
* VBL
* PVP
* EBR
*PVPXL / AVXL: an enlarged AVL
*TC 54
*TC 10
*TC 24
*A3
*Peugeot P4
The P4 is an unarmoured off-road vehicle used by the military of France. It was manufactured by Peugeot but is now manufactured by Panhard. It is to be replaced with the PVP by Panhard. The P4 is a derivative of the Mercedes Geländewagen milit ...
*ERC 90 Sagaie
The Panhard ERC (''Engin à Roues, Canon''; "Engine with wheels, cannon") is a French six-wheeled armoured car which is highly mobile and amphibious with an option of being NBC-proof. While various models were tested, only two versions of the ER ...
*VBR: enlarged VBL multipurpose armored vehicle
*VAP: Véhicule d'Action dans la Profondeur (deep penetration vehicle), VBL based special operations vehicle
*VPS: P4 based SAS Patrol vehicle
*Panhard CRAB
Panhard CRAB (Combat Reconnaissance Armored Buggy) is a new generation of 4x4 armoured combat vehicle designed and manufactured by Panhard, unveiled Eurosatory in 2012. Deliveries of new armored scout cars to the French Army are expected to begi ...
Vehicles in service
Panhard has supplied more than 18,000 military wheeled vehicles to over 50 countries with a range of combat vehicles weighing less than 10 tonnes, as follows:
* 5,400 armoured wheeled vehicles ( AML, ERC 90 Sagaie
The Panhard ERC (''Engin à Roues, Canon''; "Engine with wheels, cannon") is a French six-wheeled armoured car which is highly mobile and amphibious with an option of being NBC-proof. While various models were tested, only two versions of the ER ...
, and LYNX VCR
A videocassette recorder (VCR) or video recorder is an electromechanical device that records analog audio and analog video from broadcast television or other source on a removable, magnetic tape videocassette, and can play back the recording. ...
6x6)
* 2,300 VBL in 16 countries which includes 1600 in service with the French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...
* 933 A4 AVL— PVP—selected by the French Army
* 9,500 vehicles under 7 tonnes; most being jeep
Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with remaining assets, from its previous owner American Moto ...
-like vehicles produced under the Auverland name.
Gallery
See also
* ACMAT
ACMAT (''Ateliers de Construction Mécanique de L'Atlantique'', also known as ALM-ACMAT) ( en, Atlantic Mechanical Engineering Workshops) is a French manufacturer of cross-country and tactical military vehicles since 1958. Known for their reliabi ...
* St Chamond (tank)
The Saint-Chamond was the second French tank to enter service during the First World War, with 400 manufactured from April 1917 to July 1918. Although not a tank by a strict definition of a heavily armoured turreted vehicle, it is generally accept ...
* Panhard 178
The Panhard 178 (officially designated as ''Automitrailleuse de Découverte Panhard modèle 1935'', 178 being the internal project number at Panhard) or "Pan-Pan" was an advanced French reconnaissance 4x4 armoured car that was designed for the ...
* Panhard EBR
The Panhard EBR (Panhard ''Engin Blindé de Reconnaissance'', French: Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle) is an armoured car designed by Panhard for the French Army and later used across the globe, notably by the French Army during the Algerian War a ...
* Panhard AML
The Panhard AML (''Auto Mitrailleuse Légère'', or "Light Machine Gun Car") is an armoured car with reconnaissance capability. Designed on a lightly armoured 4×4 chassis, it weighs an estimated 5.5 tonnes, and is thus suitable for airborne dep ...
* Arthur Constantin Krebs
Arthur Constantin Krebs (16 November 1850 in Vesoul, France – 22 March 1935 in Quimperlé, France) was a French officer and pioneer in automotive engineering.
Life
Collaborating with Charles Renard, he piloted Timeline of aviation - 19 ...
, Panhard General Manager from 1897 to 1916
* Panhard bar, a suspension component designed by Panhard still in automotive use
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
External links
*
*
{{Automotive industry in France
Citroën
Renault
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1887
Defence companies of France
Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 2012
Cars powered by Knight engines
Car manufacturers of France
French brands
Military vehicle manufacturers
Truck manufacturers of France
Luxury motor vehicle manufacturers
Rolling stock manufacturers of France
French companies established in 1887
2005 mergers and acquisitions
2012 mergers and acquisitions
Manufacturing companies based in Paris
French companies disestablished in 2012