Two of the oldest car manufacturers, Citroën & Panhard had been working on technically similar vehicles – air-cooled, small capacity flat-twins – through the 1950s.
Panhard’s business was not providing financially successful, despite huge racing success in the Index of Efficiency at Le Mans.
The Citroen Company took over Panhard in 1958, subsequent to a commercial agreement in 1955 and the Panhard Dyna of the time began to be sold through the Citroen network in the UK. The aim was to use Panhard’s expertise in mid-range cars to help fill the gap between the 2CV and the DS.
This prompted the Club to extend Club membership to Panhard owners, and consequently the Panhard went some way to bridging the gap between the 2CV and the DS and quite a number of Light 15 owners turned to Panhard models, which were well catered for in the magazine for several years. Subsequently, the Panhard et Levassor Club GB was formed and is now the main club for owners, although we keep in touch with them and the occasional Panhard can be seen at CCC Rallies.
The Dyane, in 1967, was very definitely a result of the collaboration – even the name echoed Panhard’s long-standing ‘Dyna’ range.
Panhard’s military vehicle business was unaffected, and continued within PSA until sold to the Portuguese 4×4 & military vehicle manufacturer, Auverland, in 2005.
