1936 Panhard X76 Dynamic

To take full advantage of the “panoramic” windows, the driver was moved to the center of the car

by Donald Osborne

René Panhard and Emile Levassor obtained an 1888 Daimler patent for a V-twin motor, with the idea of using it in a small car. Two prototypes were built, equipped with a front-mounted engine and a gearbox.

Levassor and his team worked on increasingly powerful engines and tested them in races. In 1896, a 4-cylinder engine of 8 horsepower was tested on the Paris-Marseilles-Paris race, and while three Panhard-Levassor cars finished, Levassor was fatally injured in a crash.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the reputation of Panhard-Levassor was at its zenith and the adoption of the Knight sleeve-valve engine further consolidated the fame of the marque. The first valveless engined model was offered to customers in 1910.

In 1936, Panhard launched a very original model, moving away from the chassis of the “Panoramiques” of 1934–35. It was the Dynamic, designed by Bionnier. The Art Deco body caused a sensation, and the level of road performance...