1901 Panhard & Levassor A2

With the help of the two-cylinder Daimler Phénix engine, Panhard & Levassor became the leading automobile manufacturer by the turn of the century. In 1901 alone, 650 cars left the factory. Arthur Krebs, technical director of the French company, made sure that innovations such as the introduction of a four-cylinder engine kept Panhard & Levassor fresh and exciting. But it was the two-cylinder engine that remained the most popular offering.

 

A2 #3114
The A2 was unveiled in 1899, featuring a front-mounted, side-valve two-cylinder, 7 CV Phénix engine, called M2F, and a weight of 1200 kg. Elsewhere it was business as usual: such Panhard hallmarks as a bonnet and a steering wheel were present. The A2 remained in production until 1902, when the Phénix engine was phased out. 

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This 1901 car is a transitional model, combining the well-known two-cylinder engine with a new, lower frame which had more compact proportions and a three-speed gearbox. According to surviving Panhard & Levassor records, the car was completed on October 25, 1901 with “caisse carrosserie ordinaire” bodywork, being their reference to a standard rear-entrance tonneau, “garniture en cuir noir tendue, porte arrière montante jusqu'en haut” – tight black leather trim, rear door rising to the top (confirming tonneau), and electric ignition. The car was sold to the Palais de l'Automobile, a dealing agency for a number of automobile manufacturers, situated at 219 Boulevard Pereire in Paris.

 

Its early history is unknown. The first recorded owner was A. Kossotty, a proprietor of a mechanical workshop in the town of Saintes in the Bordeaux region. The car also sported a Bordeaux plate: 415 BB. It is not known how long Kossotty and his son-in-law, Paul Cureau,  enjoyed ownership of #3114. 

 

The car resurfaced in 1937 at a classic car event, hosted by the Association des Propriétaires de Vieilles Voitures Automobiles “Les Teuf-Teuf.” The entrant was Albert Streit of Cachan, a Paris suburb, who had at least one other classic car. The Panhard had had its rear seats removed, and its standard bonnet had been replaced with a more angular affair, which it retains to this day. For the next twenty (!) years, the car was used in the club's events; faded newsreel footage shows it being used up to the 1950s.

Another photo shows the car in the late 1950s or early 1960s at what appears to be one of the buildings where the Schlumpf brothers housed their collection. In issue No.9 we have looked at the story of the Schlumpf brothers’ formidable collection. In the background a Sage is also visible, which is still shown at the Cité de l’Automobile Museum in Mulhouse, France. 

 

Further research in the 2010s revealed that the car was traded with Mercedes-Benz in 1965 when the Schlumpf Brothers acquired their Silver Arrow racing car. To have a “Daimler-Phénix” engine was the reason why a tired French veteran car would pass to Mercedes. It remained as part of the Mercedes-Benz Museum’s reserve collection until 2010, when it was bought by the Dutch Louwman Collection. According to their evaluation: “The appearance is . . . good. The vehicle was restored many years ago. Due to the long service life, however, extensive repairs are necessary for future use.” From the Louwman Collection the car went to a Swiss dealer, then to a private collector, who commissioned a thorough report on the car, which said: “The original chassis plate and engine plates were present. The engine plate retained its rivet embossing showing it had never been removed. Brackets to the dash and seat suggest the original presence of a roof. A coachbuilder plaque remained in place.” Details such as the original governor system, correct dash oilers, and Nilmelior ignition were highlighted.

 

Between 2014 and 2019, the car was restored again. The majority of this work was carried out by the team at Tattersalls Veteran to Classic. The mechanical aspect was refurbished where necessary, including rebuilding of the engine with new bearings, repair to one of its mountings, new drive cogs, and the fitment of a modern starter motor to assist with its use. Interestingly, during this exercise the pistons were found to have domed heads, suggesting an attempt at increasing its performance. To match its build sheet, Tattersall's woodwork expert David Thompson ensured that the rear of the bodywork was rebuilt to its original rear entrance tonneau design, using comparisons with a surviving factory 1901 car. At the same time, the now much bowed wood members of the frame were replaced, and an additional transverse leaf spring which was fitted to the rear was removed, to return it to its original format. The upholstery work was undertaken by esteemed trimmer Julian Taylor of Protectus, complete with a two-piece front/rear tonneau cover in double-duck. The whole car was brush-painted in period style in Brewster Green by Daniel Garner of Garner's Wheelwrights, and at the same time the wheels were dismantled, repaired where necessary, and refinished. Ancillaries of correct period BRC Alpha self-contained generator headlamps, a close match for units visible in the 1950s, a Blériot taillamp, and a Le Teste three-trumpet horn were sourced and have been fitted. 

Today, the car sports a coachbuilder plaque for La Carrosserie Industrielle, which it has worn since at least the 1960s. The Paris-based company was a builder of carriages which transitioned to cars at the turn of the century. Before the First World War, they supplied dozens of French car manufacturers and were active until the early 1920s.

 

P.O.A.