183 - PANHARD & LEVASSOR - c.1930

PANHARD & LEVASSOR - c.1930 A rare and impressive original double-sided lithographed advertising sign. Generous size: 98 cm in diameter. In excellent condition— Front side: superb sheen revealing beautiful colors; note the very subtle touch-ups limited solely to the mounting points and a few minor surface scratches. Second side: very nice sheen, with localized traces of surface oxidation in the yellow areas and two minor touch-ups along the lower outer edge. A fine specimen— Founded in 1867 by René Panhard and Jean-Louis Périn (machine tools) and later Émile Levassor, the company became Panhard & Levassor in 1886. A true pioneer, it launched the world’s first industrial production of mass-produced automobiles in 1891, thanks to Daimler patents. Dominating auto racing until 1905 (victory in the 1895 Paris-Bordeaux-Paris race), the company expanded from its workshops on Avenue d’Ivry in Paris to its factory in Reims (Rue Ernest Renan) It made its mark on automotive history with its prestigious “valveless” engines during the interwar period (Dynamic, Panoramic) and its aluminum Dyna models after 1945. After being acquired by Citroën, its civilian production ceased in 1967 to focus exclusively on military armored vehicles in Marolles-en-Hurepoix.