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1898 Panhard et Levassor Type M2F

Tonneau

This Panhard Tonneau was purchased in Paris in the summer of 1900 by Howard C. Heinz, son of Henry J. Heinz of Pittsburgh. Heinz eventually brought this vehicle to Pittsburgh, and it was one of the first automobiles in the city. In 1898 the Panhard Tonneau was a technologically sophisticated vehicle with such features as aluminum gearbox casings and pneumatic tires. Its producer, Panhard et Levassor, was originally founded in 1845 to build woodworking machinery but moved toward automobile production, and by 1891 offered a 2-cylinder car.

With the Panhard, French engineer Emile Constant Levassor developed the basic design of the modern gasoline automobile, including the 'classic configuration' of a front-mounted vertical engine, wheel steering, and rear-driven wheels. Panhards were produced continuously until the 1960s.

by Frick Car Museum

by Panhard et Levassor

Wagonette
Chassis number: 1408

Rene Panhard and Emile Levassor established Panhard et Levassor in 1887 and it quickly became a formidable manufacturer of early automobiles. By 1890, the French-based company had offered its first car which featured a Daimler-licensed engine. By using the Daimler engines, the company could focus on other groundbreaking technologies, such as the first modern transmission which was introduced in 1895. That same year, the 1.2-liter Panhards finished first and second in the Paris-Bordeaux-Paris Rally.

This Type M2F six-horsepower Wagonette was ordered in 1898 by Marquis Domenico de Pallavicino. The request called for a six-seat Wagonette coachwork with a rubberized fabric canopy and windscreen, solid rubber tires, and number 52 lamps. The car was supplied with gasoline, two spare gears, and a training program offered to the new chauffeur. After taking delivery, the car returned to Panhard et Levassor for an upright steering wheel in place of the standard fitted tiller.

Its history is unclear until it resurfaced 90 years later. It spent most of its life in the barn of the original owner. The vehicle was stored after a minor fire which appeared to have started in the burner box and had damaged the bonnet and firewall. The car did manage to stay essentially complete with the exception of the canopy top. It still has its original bracketing and the original carburetor and hot-tube ignition.

Shortly after its discovery, the Panhard changed hands to J. Boland of Dublin, Ireland and, in his ownership, the 90-year-old car received an extensive restoration. All of the steel was stripped and the surfaces of the car were repainted to the proper red and black color combination. There was a full mechanical rebuild of the engine with the use of new bearings and a Phoenix crank. The water pump was rebuilt and the clutch was relined in leather. The gearbox was also rebuilt with new bearings. The work was completed by 1993, including being returned to the standard tiller-steering configuration.

By this point in history, the car again changed hands and was exported to the United States. In 2002, it was purchased by the present owner.

In 2011, at the Pebble Beach, CA auction presented by Gooding & Company, the car was estimated to sell for $250,000 - $350,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $396,000 inclusive of the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan