29 exceptional vehicles of the brand Panhard & Levassor will be exhibited in the courtyard of honour of the castle. Their owners will tell the public about their passion and the history of this legendary automobile brand.
Organized in collaboration with the Federation of Panhard & Levassor Clubs Saturday and Sunday From 10am to 6pm Cour d'honneur
DEDICATED ENTHUSIASTS: PANHARD & LEVASSOR CLUBS FEDERATION The Panhard & Levassor Clubs Federation brings together clubs and all other structures with the aim of defending and promoting the history of the French manufacturer Panhard & Levassor, its place and role in the history of the world automobile.
A MAJOR CAR MANUFACTURER In 1886, engineers René Panhard and Emile Levassor, former classmates of the Central School, created the Panhard & Levassor Company and built vehicles with petrol engines produced under Daimler license. They were the first to manufacture and market a series of 30 cars in 1891 making Panhard & Levassor the oldest of the automobile brands. They enjoyed considerable fame thanks in particular to their success in the world’s first car races, such as the 1894 Paris-Rouen, the Paris-Bordeaux and return of 1895 won by Emile Levassor or the famous Gordon Bennett Cup where they won in the first two editions (1900 and 1901). Panhard & Levassor was the first French car manufacturer until the First World War, shining in the period between the two World Wars with its luxury cars that stand out for their advanced engine technology and their innovative bodywork design, created by Louis Bionier: the very modern Dynamic becomes an icon of the 1930s. After the war, Panhard & Levassor continued to innovate through its research on aerodynamics (the Dynavia, for example) and was one of the pioneering manufacturers focusing on creating small-displacement, efficient and lightweight vehicles. The brand is adapting to the context of the market that demands more affordable cars. Citroën absorbed the brand in 1965 and in 1967 stopped the production of the elegant Panhard 24 with promising potential.
PANHARD & LEVASSOR PRESENT AT THE NATIONAL CAR MUSEUM The National Car Museum keeps several important vehicles of this manufacturer. Two of the first Panhard & Levassor of 1891 are on display. Recently, the museum’s collections have been enriched by another iconic Panhard & Levassor car: the Dynamic 130 (type X76) Junior coupe from 1936, preempting by the state in 2015. This exceptional vehicle by its quality and rarity (it is probably the only one preserved) is currently undergoing a high level restoration.