Feature Car December 1 - January 2/02

1959 Panhard Z16
Owned by Glen and Kathy Jahraus
North Okanagan Chapter

The transformation of the motorcar from an inventor's dreams and experiments into something that could actually be built and sold to the public was primarily credited to the efforts of Rene Panhard, Emile Levassor and Gottlieb Daimler in the late 1800's. 

Rene Panhard and Emile Levassor were partners in a woodworking machinery business. Levassor set the stage for transition into the auto manufacture by marrying into a closely-knit family licensee for the Daimler engine in France.  Their first automobile attempt was the "Dos-a-Dos" in 1890 with a second car the following year which to prove its reliability reached speeds of from 10 to 17 Km's per hour to a near by town and home again without much trouble, "In spite of the petrol that did no good to the sparking plugs." 

Though the company name was "Panhard et Levassor" it usually was abbreviated to just Panhard.Panhard & Levassor began mass-producing cars about 1893 making them the first mass produced cars in the world. They were the first to use many of the designs that became standard by other manufacturers, such as placing the engine in front coupled to the rear axle through a sliding gear transmission and driveshaft. 

Early in the world of motoring an endurance run was arranged from Paris to Rouen and return.  Although it was officially a reliability test it soon became a race. The rules required a four-seat capacity. However, the distance was run in the shortest time by a two seat Panhard, the driver of the four seater having fallen asleep, wrecking the car. A Peugeot was declared the winner.  The "Paris to Marseille" race in 1896 resulted in a fatal auto accident, which took the life of Emile Levassor.   

While I was serving in the RCAF, I obtained my car from Pioneer Automotive in Edmonton in the spring of 1962 with 17,000 miles on the clock.  It was a straight swap for a Renault Dauphine.  In July of '62 I was transferred to Bagotville Quebec.  I loaded on a top carrier, piled in camping gear, wife and four kids and headed east. 

In Saskatchewan, I attempted to pass a station wagon pulling an Airstream trailer.  As I got beside him the clutch would slip and I would have to drop back. We stopped at a service station for help and got the response "I'm not going to tie up my shop with that thing".  My response was "Mind if I use your Picnic site."  45 Minutes later I was back at the shop with the clutch plate hanging on a screwdriver (too hot to hold) asking for solvent to wash the oil off.  The engine was lying on the ground in front of the car. Four hours from stopping we had, cleaned the clutch, had a meal, changed transmission oil and were back on the road, leaving the service station operator shaking his head. 

Next morning we caught up to a military convoy and the same Airstream and wagon. When I finally got a break and pulled out to pass, the Airstream did the same pushing me on to the muddy shoulder. I instinctively backed off the throttle but when the car started to sway I remembered "front wheel drive" Geared down, floored it and passed the Airstream and at least one of the convoy. 

Two or three days later near Belleville, Ontario about 5:00 am we were not quite so lucky. Travelling at sustained 60+ MPH the car gave a couple of surges, then a major slowdown like hard braking then engine dead and coasting and a clatter from the front end. The transmission had seized and twisted off a drive shaft, no picnic site repair this time. We bought a junker, had a tow-bar fabricated and towed the car to the last remaining Canadian dealer in Montreal where they installed a rebuilt transmission.

The story would not be complete without telling that when we left the RCAF in 1963 my wife drove the car from Bagotville to Enderby B.C., while I towed our mobile home. This time all the problems were with the truck. Two engines, one day with no brakes, etc. 

In 1967 when the VCCC stopped in Merritt on their Provincial Tour we took the Panhard to the park and went to see the cars. We noticed several people closing up their cars and heading for the gate. Someone said there's a Panhard out on the street. The next encounter with the VCCC was about 1972. The club held a meet in Merritt. Again I took the car down to see the vintage cars and again it received considerable interest.

The rest, so to speak, is history. The car has had problems - mostly my fault.  It has left me on the road a couple of times and come home on the tow-bar.  But, it is a performance and fun car to drive. The Executor of my estate has been told that one thing he will have to deal with is a 1959 Panhard Z16. 

The last Panhard to bear the marquee was built in 1967 having been absorbed by the Citroen group in 1965.