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Extrêmement Rare

D.B. Panhard
Le Mans Luxe
Year of construction: 1960

2 cylinders
954 cc
approx. 70 HP
approx. 170 km/h

Gearbox: Manually

49.000 

Panhard, or French pronounced “Poaar”, formerly Panhard et Levassor, was probably the most innovative car brand ever. The company began manufacturing cars in 1890 and always surprised people with its own new ideas. The first car with a front engine was built in 1891, the fastest car to date with a valveless four-stroke slide engine was presented in 1926, the Panoramique model with curved glass was presented in 1934, and the Dynamique model with a 6-cylinder slide engine, self-supporting all-steel body, center steering, aerodynamic shape with fully covered wheel arches and rear indicators as standard in 1936. From 1946 onwards, the company concentrated on economical 2-cylinder high-performance engines with valve closure via torsion bars. The first mass-produced car with a self-supporting aluminum body was built in 1954, and in 1962 the CD model was introduced, a sports car with a drag coefficient of 0.22. The company was so innovative that even Citroën, already known for its innovative spirit, was keen on Panhard’s know-how and bought the company in 1965. Many of Panhard’s technologies were then incorporated into Citroën models and the Panhard brand was dropped in 1967.

Charles Deutsch and René Bonnet were two designers who developed sports and racing cars based on Panhard’s 2-cylinder engines. In 1954 the company even dared to compete in Formula 1 with a racing car with a 750 cc 2-cylinder engine with a compressor, against racing cars from Mercedes with three-liter six-cylinder engines and Ferrari with 2.5 liter twelve-cylinder engines. Charles Deutsch and René Bonnet were an unbeatable team. From 1958, sports cars based on Panhard series vehicles were manufactured under the brand D.B., for Deutsch-Bonnet. First the closed coupé HBR and from 1959 the Le Mans model, which was manufactured almost exclusively as an open roadster. In 1961, Charles Deutsch and René Bonnet fell out and two sports cars were built as a result, which even fought bitter duels in races. René Bonnet continued to run the company D.B. under the name René Bonnet, but was no longer allowed to use Panhard licenses. The Le Mans model was now called René Bonnet Le Mans and under its hood was a tuned Gordini engine from a Renault Dauphine 1093. At the same time, René Bonnet offered another model, the René Bonnet Djet, also with a Gordini engine. Meanwhile, Charles Deutsch remained loyal to Panhard and developed the CD model with a drag coefficient of 0.22. On May 27, 1962, the first duel between a Panhard CD and a René Bonnet Djet took place at the Nürburgring. The CD was in the lead, but then failed due to an oil slick. On June 24, 1962, the Panhard CD was able to beat the Djet and crossed the finish line first. The René Bonnet company was finally taken over by Matra in 1964 and the Djet model was later replaced by the Matra 530, then the Bagheera and finally the Murena. Yuri Gargarin, the first person in space, was probably the most famous person to drive a Djet.

We got this D.B. Panhard Le Mans Luxe from an older gentleman who owns various Panhard models, has refurbished them all himself and maintains them meticulously. Among other things, the great-granddaughter of René Panhard, who founded the Panhard et Levassor car company in 1886, has her Panhard Dyna X Cabriolet serviced by this gentleman. He has a spare parts warehouse that contains two tons of Panhard cylinders alone. His cars are assembled with optimal parts and always equipped with the coveted 954ccm engines of the top models of the DB (Deutsch Bonnet) Le Mans sports model. In addition, the engines, like contemporary rally vehicles, have two spark plugs per cylinder and are equipped with contactless ignition. Our scout drove the car from Bordeaux to Berlin under his own power and the car has already proven its stability. The car has both a soft and a hard top. Our price includes a new general inspection and an H-approval. As far as we know, no other of these vehicles is currently for sale anywhere. No wonder, because it is an exciting but now extremely rare rarity.

Our Économie offer for €42,500 refers to the tested, fully roadworthy vehicle without MOT. The standard offer for €49,000 includes an overhaul of the front brakes, new tires, an inspection, as well as a new MOT and a H-report. The Suprême offer for €52,500 also includes cavity and underbody preservation and the replacement of some unsuitable carbon foils with vinyl. We would be happy to send you a detailed list of the offers.

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