1960s Quirky French Design – Panhard PL 17 Saloon & Rare RHD Cabriolet | Season 5 – Episode 55
Wheels Jul 11, 2025
The Ireland Made – Stories of Irish Transport team were granted access to a private collection of Panhard cars, which included a beautiful blue PL 17 and a striking red PL 17 convertible. The convertible, converted from left-hand drive, is believed to be the only right-hand-drive example of its kind in existence.
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PANHARD ET LEVASSOR
Founded in 1887 by René Panhard and Émile Levassor, Panhard et Levassor quickly became one of the world’s leading carmakers. Their early innovation, the “Système Panhard,” placed the engine and radiator at the front with rear-wheel drive establishing the layout still widely used today. They pioneered numerous features, including the first modern transmission, front-mounted radiator, round steering wheel, and the Panhard rod for suspension stability.
During World War I, the firm shifted to military production. In the interwar years, they set speed records, including a 1925 endurance run at 185.51 km/h. After World War II, now simply called Panhard, the company returned to car manufacturing, producing memorable models like the Dyna X, Dyna Z, PL 17, and 24 CT/BT.
THE NEW PL 17
The Panhard Dyna X and Dyna Z were produced from 1948 to 1959. By then, a new model was needed and on June 29th 1959, the Dyna Z was replaced by the PL 17. The “PL” stood for Panhard et Levassor, while the number 17 came from a clever marketing formula: 5 for the car’s 5 CV (French horsepower rating), 6 for its six-seat capacity, and 6 for its claimed fuel consumption of 6 litres per 100 kilometres.
The PL 17 resembled the Dyna Z but with added flair, featuring chrome-plated trim on the bonnet and wings. Designer Louis Bionier had in fact completely reworked both the front and rear, most notably replacing the rear-hinged ‘suicide’ front doors. The car was a striking, bug-eyed, streamlined saloon, with substantial aluminium bumpers, seating for six on two bench seats, and a flat floor. Its 848cc air-cooled flat-twin engine, mounted ahead of the front wheels beneath a large alligator-style bonnet, could reach speeds of up to 144 km/h.
The redesigned dashboard had a quirky control layout centred on the steering column, housing an elliptical speedometer, accessory switches, gear lever, ignition, and a battery isolator. The padded black dashboard and short bonnet provided excellent visibility, making for an engaging driving experience.
PL17 SALOON
To complement his PL 17 convertible, the owner purchased this blue 1962 Panhard PL 17, which was assembled in Slough for the UK market. The steel-bodied PL 17 was well ahead of its time, combining impressive fuel efficiency with innovative engineering, and 1965, the advertising claimed, “comfort of a large car, economy of a small car, performance of a sports car” and proved highly accurate. Leaning into French design, in 1960, Motor Sport compared owning one to “keeping a Python as a pet, either you like it or you loathe it.” Even today, in 2025, with the ongoing enthusiasm for retro design, both these Panhard cars continue to stand out.
PL 17 CONVERTIBLE
This stylish two-door, four-seat convertible wasn’t designed by Panhard’s in-house designer Louis Bionier, but by Belgian coachbuilder Albert D’Ieteren of Etterbeek. Based on the Dyna Z platform, D’Ieteren first displayed the car at the 1956 Brussels Motor Show. Panhard later acquired the rights and built a limited number at their Orléans workshop. Production ended in spring 1963 to make way for the PL 17 Break (estate).
The owner of this ultra-rare PL 17 convertible, believed to be the only right-hand-drive example, found it abandoned, vandalised, and derelict in Lincoln, UK, about 30 years ago. Built in France in 1961, it was imported to the UK in 1963, explaining its ‘63’ Irish registration.
Restoration was carried out in Ireland by skilled Latvian restorer Alexandra (Sasha) Kirej. Sasha also recommended converting it to right-hand drive, a tricky job needing careful modifications and parts from a donor car. The owner recalled the unusual sight of the car briefly having two steering wheels during the conversion.
There’s a lesser-known chapter to the Panhard story in Ireland. According to Eóin Doyle on the Driven To Write website, Panhard cars were briefly assembled in Lucan, Dublin. In 1948, Motor Distributors Limited assembled four Dyna X kits in Townsend Street, Dublin. Later, Irish businessman John Caldwell, who also imported Messerschmitt cars, secured rights to Panhard. In 1960, under Ireland’s CKD (Complete Knocked Down) scheme promoting local industry, twenty PL 17 kits arrived, with parts like tyres and upholstery sourced locally. Despite early assembly challenges, the cars were completed and sold. Another ten kits followed in 1961, though only nine were built—marking the last Panhards assembled in Ireland.
THE END OF PANHARD
Panhard built its last passenger cars in 1967, later assembling Citroën 2CV vans while gradually selling the company to Citroën. By late 1967, Citroën had full control and retired the Panhard brand to avoid competing with its own models. From 1968, Panhard focused solely on armoured vehicles, and in 2012, the company was acquired by Renault Defence.
For its time, the Panhard PL 17 embodied everything that made French car-making of the 1960s so captivating, boldly innovative, wonderfully eccentric, effortlessly stylish, and unapologetically different, steering clear of the mainstream with pride. It was a car that dared to be unique, and that spirit still lingers today. In total, around 130,000 PL 17s were produced, each carrying a piece of that distinctive charm.
Check out our previous Panhard cars video:
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Sources of Information and Photo Credits:
AutoWeek
Dyna from Dublin – Driven To Write – Eóin Doyle
Lancaster Insurance – the remarkable Panhard PL 17
The Truth About Cars
Veloce Today
