Panhard et Levassor : 1891 - 1967

The firm of Panhard and Levassor was the first in France to manufacture an internal combustion engine in 1876.

Above René Panhard and Émile Levassor built their first motor car in 1890 - a mid-engined dos-à-dos horseless carriage powered by a V2 powerplant built under licence from Gottlieb Daimler.
In 1892, a Panhard car was the first to journey from Paris to Versailles without any major mechanical problems, and then covered the 140 miles from Paris to Étretat at an average speed of 6 mph. In 1910, Panhard licenced a valveless engine from Knight and this design was used until 1939.

Above the following year, they produced their second model and this vehicle is generally reckoned to be the first to establish the architecture of the modern motor car - front mounted engine, clutch mounted between the engine and gearbox and driven rear axle (never mind that most modern cars, being front wheel drive, do not follow this layout; the statement holds true for the majority of cars built during the next eighty years - Panhard too adopted front wheel drive after World War 2).
Below 1904 Berline

Above 1898 Landaulette

Above 1900 model

Above 1906 factory-built 19.6 litre le Mans racing car

Above - 1914 X 26 Coupé de Ville.

Inter-war Panhards were big, luxurious vehicles, powered by a Sans Soupapes (sleeve valve) 6 cylinder engine of between 2,6 and 2,9 litres.

Above 1920 12 HP
Below 1920 16 HP Limousine

Above 1920 15 HP Sport
Below 1920 20 HP

Above 1923 advertisement for the 10 HP

Above 1924 advertisement for the 20 HP

Above 1927 advertisement

Right 1929 British newspaper advertisement