Cars from 1878 to 1920 - The forerunners
Panhard & Levassor Type X5
1911
Code 5031
Body style: three-door
This superb three-door 1911 saloon was acquired by the museum in 1987. It regularly took part in parades and even rallies as recently as the 1980s, and it remains in remarkable original condition.
The bodywork is fully closed. There are three doors, two at the back for the passengers, and just one at the front for the driver. The car also has a useful new feature: the windows can be rolled down with a system using a holed belt. With its metal chassis, its cardan shaft transmission system – no longer using a chain – and its four-speed clutch, the car was also very modern at its time from a mechanical point of view.
When taken out today, despite its age, it diligently performs to the very best of its ability, even in the worst weather. However, this jewel in the company's fleet also has another claim to fame: it is now one of the "performers" in the collection, having appeared on screen in the film "Minouche", with Fernand Gravey.
