1901 Panhard et Levassor Rear-Entrance Tonneau

The first stop would be the annual London-to-Brighton Commemorative Run

by Carl Bomstead

The first Panhard rolled out in 1891, and in 1892 this pioneer firm created the mechanical layout nearly all other successful manufacturers would follow: front engine, midships transmission, and driven rear wheels. Called “La Systeme Panhard,” it was the beginning of many innovations this company would bring to automotive development, such as wheel steering and standard pneumatic tires in 1898. By 1894 they had become prominent competitors in the early city-to-city races, and in 1898 a Panhard won the Paris–Rouen Trial, the Marseilles–Nice, and the Paris–Amsterdam–Paris races. Victory in the grueling Paris–Bordeaux event capped that successful year. The firm took first place in the first Gordon Bennett race in 1900. They finished their year in international competition in 1904 by winning the Gordon Bennett Circuit des Ardennes race in Belgium and the first Vanderbilt Cup Race on Long Island, New York. This Panhard et Levassor is a rare survivor which has...