1936 Panhard Dynamic X76 Sedan

Radical Styling and the Driver in the Center
Frenchman Rene Panhard and Emile Levassor obtained an 1888 Daimler patent for a V-twin motor to use in a small car. Two prototypes were built, equipped with a front-mounted engine and a gearbox. Levassor and his team built increasingly powerful engines and tested them in races. In 1896, a four-cylinder engine of eight 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, first offered in 1910, further consolidated the fame of the marque.

In 1936, Panhard launched a very original model, moving away from the chassis of the 'Panoraminques' of 1934-1935. It was the Dynamic, designed by Louis Bionier. The Art Deco body caused a sensation, and the level of road performance was high.

The French have long been known for iconoclastic automobile design, and one of the more stunning examples is the Panhard X76 Dynamic. Combing a complex sleeve-valve engine, cutting-edge aerodynamic styling, and a central driving position, it certainly marked a departure from the conservative cars of the time.