Fast and Foremost

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Before the realm of engineering knowledge expanded to twin camshafts, superchargers and other such means of extracting greater power and efficiency from engines, there were just small cars, big cars and very big cars. The 24hp Panhard et Levassor Model B1 was a Goliath in the motoring scene at the start of the 20th century. Its 5322cc bibloc four-cylinder engine sat in a chassis large enough to carry a heavy tonneau body which would seat four comfortably and spaciously, with enough power in reserve to propel the car along narrow, dusty, tree-lined roads fraught with hazards at speeds then very rarely witnessed.

Panhard et Levassor

It was in its stripped-down, racing specification that the 24hp really made a name for itself. Several victories and podium finishes in the cross-country road races of 1900 and 1901 kept up Panhard’s reputation for making some of the fastest and hardiest cars. Although the Rothschild body was designed for touring and leisure, some unusual details in this car’s mechanical specification suggest it was originally built for some more exciting purpose. Even today, it’s surprisingly fast.

Zack Stiling is enamoured by the power and beauty of this early high-speed tourer in the June issue of The Automobile, available now.

Words by Zack Stiling. Photographs by Stefan Marjoram.

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