Rare Rides is partial to the unique motoring opportunities offered by French manufacturers. Among many Citroëns featured here, recently a Talbot-Lago coupe wowed the eyes with its style and price. Today we’ll take a look at another French coupe that’s a bit more affordable.
It’s an unrestored Panhard 24 from 1964.
In 1887, Panhard was established as one of the earliest auto manufacturers by René Panhard and Émile Levassor. The company built its first car in 1890, utilizing a licensed version of Daimler’s engine. Panhard produced a number of vehicles of luxurious intent, and between 1913 and 1920 their upscale 18CV and 20CV models had the distinction of serving as the presidential cars of France.
After World War II, Panhard introduced all-new models boasting modern, minimal designs. Citroën became intertwined with Panhard in 1955, when it purchased a 25 percent share in its competition. At the time, Citroën needed the manufacturing capacity Panhard had available, and Panhard needed more dealers to shift its cars.
While sales of Panhard models increased, Citroën gained ever more control over the brand and soon ended up instructing the brass at Panhard in which cars they developed. Panhard needed to replace its aged PL 17 sedan by the early Sixties, but Citroën’s president had other ideas. He felt that such a new Panhard would encroach on the lucrative family car market in which Citroen already had plenty to offer. He told Panhard they could replace their family sedan with a coupe.
Though Panhard engineers wanted to use a four-cylinder in their new lightweight coupe (1,850 pounds), they were again blocked from any prestige by Citroën. “Use your two-cylinder,” they said. And so it was, that Panhard utilized only an air-cooled two-cylinder boxer of their own design. The engine was available in two different tunes, making either 42 or 50 horsepower. All examples used a four-speed manual transmission.
The resulting coupe would turn out to be the company’s ultimate model. 24 was introduced in 1964, wearing its very sleek styling on a tubular steel chassis. Available only in two-door guise, Panhard offered the 24 in a shorter coupe or a sedan that featured 11 inches of additional overall length. The longer version was decidedly the more practical of the two — it offered 9.8 inches more legroom for rear seat passengers than the coupe. The boxer engine and its size meant designers could lower the hood line further than in other engine configurations.
Panhard focused on providing a nice interior in its affordable coupe. Seats were rake and height adjustable, as was the steering wheel. And in a very important motoring moment, seat belts were optional.
Constrained by its Citroën overlords, all of Panhard’s other models were cancelled by 1965 and the 24 soldiered on alone through 1967. After ’67, Panhard turned its attention to military vehicles, and would continue to do so until it merged with Auverland in 2005, and with Renault Trucks Defense in 2012.
Today’s Rare Ride is in original, unrestored condition in Bordeaux, France. With unstated mileage in rough running condition, it asks $5,400.
[Images: seller]
One of my neighbors (who happened to be the hs driving teacher) had a couple of Citroens, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of these. It’s quite nicely styled. If you had a lot of money to waste, this thing would make a cool resto-mod with maybe a hot Subaru motor?
Maybe put a hot Mazda rotary in it to make a French Mazda Cosmeaux.
Good choice too, but that would probably require converting to rear drive and associated floor pan tearup.
I was thinking minimally invasive surgery.
I find the styling so modern for 1964. Especially at the rear.
It was actually heavily influenced by the first Corvair and the dirth of power from its engine.
I see some first-gen Corvair in the styling at the rear. It’s the correct era.
The signature of the corvair was the wrap around beltline crease. It’s prominent here, the NSU Sport Prinz the BMW2002 and some similar iterations.
This is one of my all time favorite cars. So much to love – cute looks (rear side 3/4 is best, though I prefer the longer 24CT sedan), tiny mill, stunning outward visibility, engine and cargo lids that hide their own seams, multi-adjustable interior, lovable French weirdness. And above all, the world’s coolest-ever wiper blades! These didn’t just clean your window, but did a beautifully choreographed dance across your windscreen. I get mesmerized just watching them do their work…
youtube.com/watch?v=fxU3KbSHH3o
The French had some big honkin’ license plates back then. Just noticed that.
Not in bad shape for a 55-year-old car. Well over five grand seems like a lot for a vehicle that wasn’t rare then, and whose distinction now is an only moderate level of French automotive weirdness. Something tells me that no reasonable offer would be refused.
The 92 license plate means it’s registered in Hauts-de-Seine, the western area of Paris and on outward. Maybe this Panhard was driven down to Bordeaux and wouldn’t make it back?
@Corey: Yes, the Panhard’s styling was pretty avant-garde for the time.
Methinks this will end up with a GM LSX V8 sometime soon.
Lots of people thinking restomod here. This is a French car. It’s supposed to be slow and leisurely. The car is almost totally intact. The right move here is to clean everything up very carefully, do a respray in the original color (only because of all the surface rust), fix up the original mechanicals, and leave everything else in original but cleaned-up condition.
Thank you. Plus, it’s not all that slow, because it weighs next to nothing. Very good fuel economy too. (Of course, both is only valid when compared to other cars of its time. But normal European small-to-midsize sedans of the ’60s with their 1.3 four cylinder engines weren’t notably faster (and much less economical) than the Panhard.
I’m assuming it has a Panhard bar?
Looks to be in very good overall shape .
I’d resurrect it and address any serious rust issues then drive it as is, they way it was made to be .
-Nate