Description
The 1905 Panhard & Levassor automobile represents the peak of elegance and performance at the time. In the early years of auto racing Panhards were dominant. A Panhard & Levassor won the first running of the Vanderbilt Cup Race, one of America’s first major automotive contests, in 1904.
The classic tale of the modernization of the coachbuilder takes an interesting twist when one considers the company’s history manufacturing cannons during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71. This metalworking shop produced the Daimler licensed engines powering chassis sporting bodies constructed by the woodworking arm of the company. The Panhard ushered in a number of technological improvements for the industry. One of the most significant changes was the use of a steering wheel over a tiller (which more accurately replicates the action of manipulating horse reins) in 1896. Two years later, tilt column steering was introduced. The Panhard, and the cars that emulated it, heralded what was yet to come in the auto industry.
Specifications: 40 horsepower, 11 cubic liter, in-line six-cylinder engine. Price New: $7,305 chassis.
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