184 - PANHARD & LEVASSOR -PL - c.1960-65

PANHARD & LEVASSOR -PL - c.1960-65 Original double-sided lithographed advertising sheet metal. Generous size: 144 x 73 cm. “Chagnon. Noisy-le-Sec (Seine)” In very good overall condition— Colors are beautifully preserved, enhanced by remarkably intense reds and superb brilliance. There is a very subtle touch-up along the outer yellow border, as well as four tiny, millimeter-sized impacts, none of which detract from the superb visual quality. Founded in 1867 by René Panhard and Jean-Louis Périn (machine tools) and later joined by 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 automobile 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.