Panhard - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Panhard is currently a French manufacturer of light tactical and military vehicles. Its current incarnation was formed by the acquisition of Panhard by Auverland

Auverland

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 the combined company now uses the Panhard name.It notably produces the Petit Véhicule Protégé....

in 2005. Panhard had been under Citroën ownership, then PSA

PSA Peugeot Citroën

PSA Peugeot Citroën is a French manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles sold under the Peugeot and Citroën marques. Headquartered in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, PSA is the second largest automaker based in Europe and the number eight in the world.-History:In December 1974 Peugeot S.A....

(after the 1974 Peugeot Citroën merger), for 40 years. The combined company now uses the Panhard name, this was decided based on studies indicating that the Panhard name had better brand recognition worldwide than the Auverland name. Panhard once built civilian cars but ceased production of those in 1968. Many of their military products however end up on the civilian market via third sources and as military/government surplus vehicles. Panhard also built railbus

Railbus

A railbus is a very lightweight type passenger rail vehicle that shares many aspects of their construction with a bus, usually having a bus, or modified bus body, and having four wheels on a fixed base, instead of on bogies...

es between the wars.

History

Panhard was originally called Panhard et Levassor, and was established as a car manufacturing concern by René Panhard

René Panhard

Louis François René Panhard was a French engineer, merchant and a pioneer of the automobile industry in France....

and Émile Levassor

Emile Levassor

Émile Levassor was a French engineer and a pioneer of the automobile industry and car racing in France.- Biography :...

in 1887.
Their first car (based on a Daimler engine licence), was offered in 1890. Levassor obtained his licence from a friend who already had one, Sarazin. Upon Sarazin's death in 1887, Sarazin's widow married Levassor, and the deal was cemented. Daimler and Levassor became fast 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 to operate a chain-driven gearbox. The vehicle also featured a front-mounted radiator

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 automobiles, buildings, and electronics...

. An 1895 Panhard is credited with the first modern transmission

Transmission (mechanics)

A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...

.

In 1891, the company built their first all-Levassor design, a "state of the art" model: the Systeme Panhard consisted of four wheels, a front-mounted engine with rear wheel drive, and a crude sliding-gear transmission, sold at 3500 francs. (It would remain the standard until Cadillac

Cadillac

Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...

introduced synchromesh in 1928.) This was to become the standard layout for automobiles for most of the next century. The same year, Panhard shared their Daimler engine license with bicycle maker Armand Peugeot

Armand Peugeot

Armand Peugeot was a French industrialist, pioneer of the automobile industry and the founder of the French firm Peugeot.-Family:...

, who formed his own car company.

In 1895, 1205 cc (74 ci) Panhards finished first and second in the Paris–Bordeaux–Paris race, one piloted solo by Levassor, for 48¾hr. Arthur Krebs

Arthur Krebs

Arthur Constantin Krebs was a French officer and pioneer in automotive engineering....

succeeded Levassor as General Manager in 1897, and held the job until 1916. He turned the Panhard-Levassor Company into one of the largest and profitable manufacturer of automobiles before World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

.

Panhards won numerous races from 1895 to 1903. Panhard developed the Panhard rod

Panhard rod

A Panhard rod is a component of a car suspension system that provides lateral location of the axle...

, which became used in many other types of automobiles as well.

From 1925 the motors used Knight

Knight Engine

The Knight Engine was an internal combustion engine, designed by American Charles Yale Knight , that used sleeve valves instead of the more common poppet valve construction.- History :...

sleeve valve

Sleeve valve

The sleeve valve is a type of valve mechanism for piston engines, distinct from the usual poppet valve. Sleeve-valve engines saw use in a number of pre-World War II luxury cars and in USA in the Willys-Knight car and light truck...

s. That year a 4.8 litre (292ci) model set the world record for the fastest hour run, an average of 185.51 km/h (115.26 mph).

Panhard also produced railbuses, including some for the metre gauge

Metre gauge

Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...

Chemin de Fer du Finistère.

After World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

the company produced light cars such as the Dyna X

Panhard Dyna X

The Panhard Dyna X was a lightweight compact saloon car designed by the visionary engineer Jean Albert Grégoire and first exhibited as the AFG Dyna at the Paris Motor Show in 1946....

, Dyna Z

Panhard Dyna Z

The Panhard Dyna Z was a lightweight motor car made by Panhard of France. It was first presented to the press at a Paris restaurant named "Les Ambassadeurs" on 17 June 1953 and went into production the following year...

, PL 17

Panhard PL 17

The Panhard PL17 was a motor car made by the French manufacturer Panhard from 1959 until 1965.Presented on June 29, 1959, as successor to the Panhard Dyna Z, the PL 17 was a development of the older car, but with an even more streamlined body than its predecessor...

, 24 CT

Panhard 24

Produced between 1964 and 1967, the Panhard 24 can be seen as the swan song of Panhard automobile production. Since 1967 the Panhard business has concentrated on manufacturing light military vehicles....

and 24 BT

Panhard 24

. The company managed to get around a steel

Steel

Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...

-saving government regulation forbidding new car models by making the bodies and several other components out of aluminum; the Dyna X and Z 1 had aluminum bodies. The later Dyna Z and the PL 17 bodies were steel. The styling was smooth and rounded, which stood out in any post-war parking lot.The 24 CT was a beautiful 2+2 seater; the 24 BT with a longer wheelbase had space for four. The Panhard-based Deutsch Bonnets ("DB Panhard") dominated the "Index of Performance" class at Le Mans

24 Hours of Le Mans

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...

and other small-engine racing classes.
The last Panhard passenger car was built in 1967. From 1968 on, Panhard has only made armored

Vehicle armour

Military vehicles are commonly armoured to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets, missiles, or shells, protecting the personnel inside from enemy fire. Such vehicles include tanks, aircraft, and ships....

vehicles—the civilian branch was absorbed by Citroën

Citroën

Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...

in 1965, and the marque was retired.

In 2004, Panhard lost a competition to another manufacturer of military vehicles, Auverland

Auverland

, for the choice of the future PVP

Petit Véhicule Protégé

The Petit Véhicule Protégé is a light, general-purpose armoured 4-wheel drive vehicle used by the French Army. It is also designated as Auverland A4 AVL . Built by Auverland, it is the successor to the Peugeot P4...

of the French Army. This allowed Auverland to purchase Panhard in 2005, then a subsidiary of PSA Peugeot Citroën

PSA Peugeot Citroën

. However, the fame of Panhard being greater, it was decided to retain the name; the PVP designed by Auverland would bear a Panhard badge.

Panhard models

Type	Construction period
Panhard Dyna X Panhard Dyna X The Panhard Dyna X was a lightweight compact saloon car designed by the visionary engineer Jean Albert Grégoire and first exhibited as the AFG Dyna at the Paris Motor Show in 1946....	1945–1954
Panhard Junior	1951–1956
Panhard Dyna Z Panhard Dyna Z The Panhard Dyna Z was a lightweight motor car made by Panhard of France. It was first presented to the press at a Paris restaurant named "Les Ambassadeurs" on 17 June 1953 and went into production the following year...	1953–1959
Panhard PL 17 Panhard PL 17 The Panhard PL17 was a motor car made by the French manufacturer Panhard from 1959 until 1965.Presented on June 29, 1959, as successor to the Panhard Dyna Z, the PL 17 was a development of the older car, but with an even more streamlined body than its predecessor...	1959–1965
Panhard CD	1962–1965
Panhard 24 Panhard 24 Produced between 1964 and 1967, the Panhard 24 can be seen as the swan song of Panhard automobile production. Since 1967 the Panhard business has concentrated on manufacturing light military vehicles....	1963–1967

Models with Panhard technology

Type	Construction period
Dyna Veritas Veritas (Automobile) Veritas was a famous West German post World War II sports and race car company, located in the village of Hausen am Andelsbach, near Sigmaringen, Baden-Württemberg, later at Meßkirch and Muggensturm and moved finally to the Nürburgring....	1949–1954
Rosengart Lucien Rosengart Lucien Rosengart was a French engineer.His early life was shaped by carriages and the advance of the automobile age. He first started working as a mechanic at the age of 12, and by age 24 he had a machine shop in Belleville and several patents to his credit... Scarlette	1952
DB DB (car) DB was a French automobile maker between 1938 and 1961, based in Champigny-sur-Marne near Paris. The firm was founded by Charles Deutsch and René Bonnet... HBR 5	1954–1961
DB DB (car) DB was a French automobile maker between 1938 and 1961, based in Champigny-sur-Marne near Paris. The firm was founded by Charles Deutsch and René Bonnet... Le Mans	1958–1964
Sera-Panhard	1959–1961

Current military models

AVL
PVP
Petit Véhicule Protégé
The Petit Véhicule Protégé is a light, general-purpose armoured 4-wheel drive vehicle used by the French Army. It is also designated as Auverland A4 AVL . Built by Auverland, it is the successor to the Peugeot P4...
PVPXL / AVXL: an enlarged AVL
TC 54
TC 10
TC 24
A3
Peugeot P4
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 militarised Mercedes Geländewagen marketed by Peugeot for the French military...
ERC 90 Sagaie
ERC 90 Sagaie
The Panhard ERC 90 is a French six-wheeled armoured all terrain vehicle which is highly mobile and amphibious with an option of being NBC-proof. While various models were tested, only two versions of the ERC were developed and produced: the Lynx and the Sagaie...
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

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
Panhard AML
-Former Operators:: unknown number of AML-60s and AML-90s in service between 1960-1975.: 34 Eland 90s and Eland 60s in service with the Rhodesian Security Forces in 1979, passed on to successor state.-Trivia:...

, ERC 90 Sagaie
ERC 90 Sagaie
The Panhard ERC 90 is a French six-wheeled armoured all terrain vehicle which is highly mobile and amphibious with an option of being NBC-proof. While various models were tested, only two versions of the ERC were developed and produced: the Lynx and the Sagaie...

, and LYNX VCR
ERC 90 Sagaie
The Panhard ERC 90 is a French six-wheeled armoured all terrain vehicle which is highly mobile and amphibious with an option of being NBC-proof. While various models were tested, only two versions of the ERC were developed and produced: the Lynx and the Sagaie...

6x6)
2,300 VBL in 16 countries which includes 1600 in service with the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
933 A4 AVL—PVP
Petit Véhicule Protégé
The Petit Véhicule Protégé is a light, general-purpose armoured 4-wheel drive vehicle used by the French Army. It is also designated as Auverland A4 AVL . Built by Auverland, it is the successor to the Peugeot P4...

—selected by the French Army
9,500 vehicles under 7 tonnes; most being jeep-like vehicles produced under the Auverland name.

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