1911 Panhard et Levassor Type X14 25hp Tourer Coachwork by Vanvooren

Panhard held a special place amongst the earliest makes of cars. It was at the forefront of designing a ” modern ” car, with a layout of mechanical components that went on to become the norm. The marque was always on the look out for the latest innovations, and in 1909 Panhard became interested in Charles Knight’s development of an engine where the conventional valves had been replaced with sleeve valves. Impressed by the silent and smooth running of this system, Panhard bought the licence and started to develop its own ” valveless ” engines. The first chassis to benefit was the Type X7, presented at the 1910 Motor Show, and from that date on, this engine was fitted to the marque’s high-end models for many years. The Type 14 was one such model, equipped in 1911 with a four-cylinder 4 398cc valveless engine that also had a better braking system than the X7.

Thanks to the active Aventure Peugeot Citroën DS that keeps the Panhard Levassor archive, we have been able to obtain copies of the register and records of the superb X14 in the Volante Collection. On 29 June 1912 the law firm Recht & Lehmann in Buenos Aires was invoiced 13 021 francs for the car.

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