Lot Ended
Description
From a celebrated 'oily rag' collection; wonderfully original;
runs and drives; a historically important machine with a large and
interesting history file
France’s oldest
car manufacturer and one of the greatest names in motoring history, Panhard et
Levassor was founded in 1887 by Rene Panhard, Emile Levassor and Belgian lawyer
Edouard Sarazin who had acquired the Daimler patent rights for the French
market.
Well-equipped and beautifully
engineered, the cars pioneered many inventions that we now take for granted
including the first effective transmission and the famous Panhard rod suspension
brace. A range of increasingly majestic and innovative cars were produced until
the outbreak of war put a temporary halt to production in 1939, although the
firm continued to produce quirky yet excellent smaller cars post-war, such as
the Dyna and the 24 CT, until they were absorbed by Citroen in
1967.
In the 1920s they were known for producing
quality chassis for subsequent delivery to the coachbuilding trade. They adopted
Knight’s sleeve-valve engine technology to ensure silent running and
refinement.
The 2.3-litre four-cylinder Type X39,
rated at 13hp, was typical of their range in the early-1920s. The P-L emblem on
the classic V-shaped radiator of this 1922 car is flanked by the letters S and S
which stands for 'Sans Soupapes' (without valves).
Our vendor, the owner of a celebrated collection of highly original
‘oily rag’ cars, acquired this X39 at auction in Paris in 2020. It formed part
of a collection of mostly Panhard cars belonging to a French collector called
Daniel Ruet who had been killed in a light aircraft crash not long
before.
The sleeve-valve four-cylinder 2,297cc engine had seized through 50
years’ lack of use when acquired. The delicate work of freeing it and making the
car drivable was entrusted to Benjamin Brown (of Benjamin M. Brown Ltd), who is
well known for his restoration of vintage cars and work on engines of this type.
He soon established that the seizure was due to
nothing more than a build-up of stale, sticky oil and petrol over half-a-century
of inactivity and the engine was soon coaxed into life. He also formed the
opinion that the engine had never previously been apart and was in such good
condition internally that the indicated mileage was probably correct (currently
23,564). Fitted with four new tyres and issued with a V5C, we are told that the
car has since covered approximately 100 miles in the current ownership.
A prominent journalist and publisher, our vendor
has researched the history of this car in great detail, also amassing a treasure
trove of literature relating to Panhard et Levassor which will take the new
owner many hours to digest.
To cut a
long story short, car no. 60568 was one of the very first such models to be
built. The first owner was a Leon Lacombe of Poitiers, who bought the chassis
direct from the factory. A qualified engineer with a substantial business in
Poitiers which, at its height, employed more than 50 people, he appears to have
been a subcontractor to Panhard et Lavassor and had a body specially made for
the car. This features a patented telescopic retractable windscreen for the rear
passengers, still in working order. Lacombe was for many years the vice chairman
of the local counterpart of our SMMT and he used the car for official parades,
having it fitted with the flagstaff it still wears on the front left
wing.
With the enthusiastic help of the official
archivist for the town of Poitiers, the vendor also established that Lacombe
himself became a manufacturer of complete automobiles in his own right. The
first of these, called the Leontine after his mother, was an early one-off
venture. The second, called the Saiga, was built later in small numbers and sold
locally. One example of the latter is said to exist in a nearby museum. Neither
make is listed in Georgano’s otherwise compendious Encyclopaedia so
this novel research makes for fascinating reading.
As you can see in the photos, this historically significant motorcar
is in wonderfully original condition with that irreplaceable patina that only
comes from a century of careful preservation. Allied to the large and
interesting history file, it all adds up to a mouth-watering package that is
sure to excite any discerning collector.
For
more information contact James on 07970 309907 or email james.dennison@brightwells.com