Panhard & Levassor X47 Weymann Landaulet

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. 

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 and fitted massive and effective 4-wheel brakes.

The Type X47, rated at 11.1hp, was typical of their range in the mid-1920s. The chassis-only price was £355 at a time when you could purchase an 11.4hp Citroen 4-seat tourer for only £165 - such was the quality of the Panhard. The 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine was neat and straightforward, cooling was by thermosiphon, there was magneto ignition and the carburettor was a Zenith-pattern.

Four forward speeds were a quality feature unusual in a smaller car but were doubtless desirable given the engine size. The P-L emblem on the classic V-shaped radiator of this 1928 car is flanked by the letters S and S which stands for 'Sans Soupapes' (without valves).

Dating from February 1928, this X47 Landaulet features a superb vintage Weymann body. The expertise of this body shop was inspired by aviation practices and it consisted of a box composed of a wooden structure on which were stretched panels of imitation leather, which made the body very light.

Not much is known of the early history of the car but documents and photographs on file show that it was treated to a total nut-and-bolt restoration by a previous German owner during the 1990s and early 2000s. The chassis and mechanical parts appear to have been restored in France, while the bodywork was restored in Germany.

All the work was carried out to a very high standard and the car presents superbly with a particularly fine interior featuring embossed door cards and headlining and beautifully upholstered grey leather seats, the front ones being subsequently given a cloth cover as the previous owner preferred this to the leather which is still underneath.

Said to run and drive well, the car has recently been UK registered and is currently taxed although it does not require an MOT under the new regulations. It comes with many bills and photographs detailing the restoration, a copy of the original factory build sheet, an original owner’s handbook and a current V5C.