1935 Panhard et Levassor X39 Tourer

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