The History of Panhard and Levassor until 1939

François-René Panhard, from Breton birth, came to Paris towards 1800 as a saddler. He then became a coach-builder. His son, Adrien Panhard, took up his business and turned towards traking and carrenting where he made a fortune. In 1867, Adrien's eldest son, René, a former student at the Ecole Centrale, associated with Jean-Louis Périn who made tool machines for working wood.

Five years later, he settled avenue d'Ivry and took a third associate, his class mate Emile Levassor. Besides tool machines for working wood, the firm started in 1876 making gas-engines under licence from Otto and Langen, then, ten years later, jeavy-oil engines under licence from Daimler. After the death on Périn, the firm took the name of Panhard and Levassor and in 1888 - 9 these engines were set on "horseless" vehicles. In 1891, a series of successful adjustments and trials on road encouraged René Panhard and Emile Levassor to start manufacturing and sellinf the first standard model cars in the world.

The oldest trade mark achieved great success in car races, especially Paris-Bordeaux-Paris in 1895, and in 1900, it was still the most important car-manufacturer and exporter in the world. After Levassor's death in 1897, René Panhard opened up the capital of his firm and Arthur Krebs became its manager. The latter, who remained at the head of the firm till 1915, helped consolidating its reputation for fenuine quality, its financial foundation and the position of its top-range models, especially with the choice of valveless engines which were going to equip all the card till 1939. When Krebs left, Paul Panhard, René's nephew, took command of the firm.

From 1919, after tehe war during which the firm took part actively into the effort required from modern industries, the firm located avenue d'Ivry preferred to maintain its traditions which up to that time had made it successful : a production of ten cars a day or so, vaveless engines and luxury and sports cars" often with customised coach-work. It also added the manufacturing of petrol, diesel or gas-producing lorries, rail-car or plane engines and a few lightly-armoured vehicles for the Army but keeping at the same time the manufacturing of tool machines for working wood. Doing so, it failed to operate the turning-point towards making more popular cars unlike its three rivals, Renault, Citroën and Peugeot, qhose mass production represented three quarters of the touring cars produced in France.

In the years 1920, the Panhard cars were equipped whith 4,6 and 8 cylinder engines of 10 to 35 HP. In the thirties appeared the 6-DS and the 8-DS engines with 6 and 8 cylinder of 20 to 29 HP. Then, in 1933, the "Panoramique" and finally in 1936 the "Dynamic" which had been designed by Louis Delagarde for the mechanical part and by Louis Bionier for the coach-body, both responsible for car development. Adding to the production of beautiful cars, the trade-mark won world records on closed-circuit with machines driven by Eyston and Ortmans.

But the consequences of the world crisis which was reaching France from 1932, together with the increase of financial charges in 1936, put a heavy burden on Panhard & Levassor. After a strike in November 1936 the firm was nearly ruined and it had to restrict to a new strategic business plan where the Stake markets (machine-gun cars, military lorries, buses for transport in Paris and in province, engines for the National railways) ensured the main part of its activities, while only 3 touring cars were produced a day.

The old firm's winning cards remained considerable : ample and qulified workmanship, important industrial means in Paris, Reims and Orléans, a group of faithful customers, a strong trade-mark image, the arrival in 1937 of Jean Panhard, a young polytechnician, ready to help his father Paul. However Panhard & Levassor were to undergo the trial of the Second World War in rather difficult conditions.

This text is a summary of part of Claude-Alain SARRE's book : Les Panhard et Levassor : une aventure collective, published in October 2000 by E.T.A.I., 20 rue de la Saussière. 92641 Boulogne Billancourt Cedex, 01.46.99.24.24 E-mail : draeger@ iway.fr (192 pages, 56 photos)