In 1891, Panhard & Levassor built a batch of four identical cars, followed by series after series of increasing numbers, which, chronologically, makes Panhard-Levassor the world’s first make of car in continuous production. Although Benz and Daimler had built automobiles earlier, they were isolated examples and not part of any sustained program. Early in 1909, Rene de Knyff met with Hippolyte Panhard to tell him of his experience of driving the new Daimler with the knight sleeve-valve engine. He was enchanted with the silence and smoothness and urged the chairman to obtain a license and start mounting sleeve-valve engines in Panhard-Levassor cars. The head of the experimental department was impressed and supported the idea, and the first sleeve-valve engine design (a 20cv 4398cc, 4 cylinder model) went into production in 1910.
Specifications:
Manufacturer: Panhard & Levassor
Country of Origin: France
Drivetrain Configuration: Front engine, rear wheel drive
Engine: 6 cylinder, 4,783cc, sleeve-valve
Transmission: 4 speed manual
Top Speed: 80 miles per hour
Years of Production: 1933-37
Number Produced: 27
Original Cost: Unknown
A Note About the Display of Our Collection
Thank you for viewing our collection online! Please note that our collection contains over 330 cars and motorcycles though we only have room to display approximately 150 at a time. Therefore, the item you are viewing may not be on display when you visit the museum in person.
