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68-409: The ERC was originally a private venture aimed at the export market. It was developed by Panhard in the latter half of the 1970s as a heavier, six-wheeled successor to Panhard's highly successful AML range of armoured vehicles. The ERC and VCR are a family of six wheel armoured reconnaissance vehicles. The ERC is the cannon-armed turret model. The VCR is the armoured personnel carrier version. ERC

136-448: A contract was signed for 160 C-160s (110 for Germany and 50 for France) on 24 September 1964. Manufacturing work was split between Germany and France in line with the number of orders placed; Nord built the wings and engine nacelles, VFW the centre fuselage and horizontal tail, and HFB the forward and rear fuselage. The aircraft's tail fin was to be built by Dornier . Three production lines were set up to assemble these components at each of

204-517: A final conversion, two aircraft were furnished for SIGINT electronic surveillance, designated C-160G Gabriel , replacing the Noratlases that had been in this role previously. In routine operations, the C-160Gs would often supplement France's Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft. In 1991, a SIGINT-equipped C-160G was deployed as part of France's contribution to Coalition forces during and after

272-689: A more modern main battle tank (MBT), like the Russian T-72, which was being exported to many nations. The Lynx version could only fire medium-velocity HEAT rounds in the anti-tank role, which lacked the penetration to defeat the more modern MBTs. Panhard designed a turret which mounted the long barrel F4 90mm smooth bore-cannon developed by GIAT, and designated the vehicle the ERC 90 F4 Sagaie . The F4 90mm could fire APFSDS (Armour Piercing Fin Stabilised Discarding Sabot) rounds at

340-564: A much higher velocity than the Lynx's F1 90mm. GIAT and Panhard both claimed it could penetrate heavy armour at 2,000 metres. For a while, GIAT engineers could not find a suitable muzzle brake for the Sagaie which would not interfere with the firing of APFSDS rounds, but found a suitable solution using a muzzle brake design from the older AMX-13 tank. Ivory Coast was the first export customer, ordering five Sagaies to replace its aging AMX-13s in

408-787: A regular detachment of C-160s was also dispatched in support of the multinational International Security Assistance Force presence in the Afghanistan . Both French and German C-160s were used in supporting Operation Serval , the French-led intervention in the Northern Mali conflict . For either humanitarian or military purposes, C-160s have conducted extensive operations in a number of nations, including Mauritania , Niger , Chad , Ethiopia , Bosnia , and Lebanon . Starting in 1984 onwards, German airframes underwent LEDA I and LEDA II life extension measures, which were focused on

476-510: A year earlier. Publicity of the time indicated the "S" stood for "Voitures surbaissées" (cars having an "underslung" chassis, ) but, clearly captivated by the power of alliteration, added that "S" also indicated cars that were "...souples, supérieures, stables, spacieuses, silencieuses, sans soupapes (i.e., using valveless cylinders)...". Four of the five Panhards exhibited featured increasingly lavish and pricey 6-cylinder engined cars, their engine sizes ranging from 2.35-litres to 3.5-litres. There

544-495: Is a German abbreviation of the manufacturing consortium Transporter Allianz , comprising the companies of MBB , Aerospatiale , and VFW-Fokker . It was initially developed to meet the requirements for a modern transport aircraft for the French and German Air Forces ; export sales were also made to South Africa and to Turkey , as well as a small number to civilian operators. The C-160 remains in service more than 60 years after

612-399: Is a twin-engine tactical transport featuring a cargo hold, a rear-access ramp beneath an upswept tail, a high-mounted wing and turboprop engines. The C-160 is designed to perform cargo and troop transport duties, aerial delivery of supplies and equipment and is designed to be compatible with international railway loading gauges to simplify cargo logistics and loading. In flight the cargo area

680-471: Is powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Tyne turboprop engines, which drive a pair of four-bladed Dowty Rotol propellers. Advantages of the twin-engine configuration over four include reduced unit and production cost, lower weight and fuel consumption, simplified design and reliability. Each engine is equipped with an auxiliary generator system, providing the aircraft with both electricity and hydraulic pressure. An auxiliary power unit ( General Electric CJ610 )

748-455: Is pressurised and kept at a constant temperature by integrated air conditioning systems. Additionally, the landing gear can be partially retracted while on the ground. This lowers the C-160, making it easier to move vehicles into the hold as they don't need to climb a ramp. One aspect of the C-160 that made the type well suited to tactical operations is its short airfield performance, including

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816-637: Is the French abbreviation of term Engin à Roues, Canon or Gun-armed Wheeled Vehicle. The ERC shares many components of the VCR vehicles. Two main versions of the ERC were developed: first the ERC F1 90 Lynx , then the ERC F4 90 Sagaie . The Lynx appeared about 1977 and the Sagaie followed approximately two years later in 1979. The Lynx was developed primarily as an armoured reconnaissance vehicle. The Sagaie

884-405: Is used to power the aircraft while on the ground, and for rare use in mid-air emergencies. An updated second generation of the C-160 was produced during the 1980s. Amongst changes made, the new variant was equipped with additional fuel tankage, aerial refuelling probes and enhanced avionics. While there were considerable changes to instrumentation, including the navigational and autopilot systems,

952-571: The 1896 Paris–Marseille–Paris race, Levassor was fatally injured due to a crash while trying to avoid hitting a dog, and died in Paris the following year. Arthur Krebs succeeded Levassor as General Manager in 1897, and held the job until 1916. He turned the Panhard et Levassor Company into one of the largest and most profitable manufacturers of automobiles before World War I . Panhards won numerous races from 1895 to 1903. Panhard et Levassor developed

1020-498: The Gulf War to support a no-fly zone and embargoing of Iraq . C-160s were in continuous use to support French bases in sub-Saharan Africa; the tanker variants also proved valuable in supporting African operations. The C-160 fleet was the staple of the French military airlift capability for many years, supplemented by small numbers of McDonnell Douglas DC-8s , CASA/IPTN CN-235 and Lockheed C-130 Hercules as of 1990. During

1088-640: The Panhard rod , which came to be used in many other types of automobiles as well. From 1910 Panhard worked to develop engines without conventional valves, using under license the sleeve valve technology that had been patented by the American Charles Yale Knight . Between 1910 and 1924 the Panhard & Levassor catalogue listed plenty of models with conventional valve engines, but these were offered alongside cars powered by sleeve valve power units. Following various detailed improvements to

1156-515: The Sagaie were with French troops stationed in Ivory Coast on a peace-keeping mission between two rival factions, and in Mali in 2013. The French Army has upgraded 160 of its 192 ERC's in service with a diesel MTU 4-cylinder 170 hp engine, coupled to an automatic gearbox made by Renk and have made enhancements to the turret to improve observation, fire control and command. A weakness of

1224-589: The South African Border War during the late 1980s, the South African Air Force's C-160s were vital for deploying and supplying troops in the border region and into positions in southern Angola due to the otherwise-impassable terrain. The importance of airpower in the war led to a great deal of the fighting being centred upon remote airstrips, both sides trying to gain or deny the same advantageous positions and place stress upon

1292-427: The war . The new Panhard 16CV "Six" came with a 3445cc engine and sat on a 3,540 mm (139.4 in) wheelbase. At the show it was priced, in bare chassis form, at 58,000 francs. Of the nine models displayed for the 1927 model year, seven featured four-cylinder engines, ranging in capacity from 1480cc (10CV) to 4845cc (20CV), and in price from 31,000 francs to 75,000 francs (all in bare chassis form). Also on show

1360-669: The 10HP Panhard Type X19, which used a 4-cylinder 2,140 cc (131 cu in) engine. This was followed three months later by three more 4-cylinder models which will have been familiar to any customers whose memories pre-dated the war , but they now incorporated upgraded electrics and a number of other modifications. For the 15th Paris Motor Show , in October 1919, Panhard were displaying four models, all with four cylinder engines, as follows: By 1925, all Panhard's cars were powered by Knight sleeve valve engines that used steel sleeves . The steel sleeves were thinner and lighter than

1428-512: The 1894 Paris–Rouen Rally , Alfred Vacheron equipped his 4 hp (3 kW) Panhard with a steering wheel , believed to be one of the earliest employments of the principle. In 1891, the company built its first all-Levassor design, a "state of the art" model: the Système Panhard consisted of four wheels, a front-mounted engine with rear wheel drive , and a crude sliding-gear transmission, sold at 3500 franc s. (It would remain

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1496-534: The 24BT being a version of the same with a longer wheelbase and space for four. For a period after the war, the Panhard-based Monopole racing cars received unofficial support from Panhard (as did DB and other clients such as Robert Chancel), using it to good effect in winning the "Index of Performance" class at Le Mans in 1950, 1951, and 1952. In 1953, Panhard moved on to a more direct involvement with Chancel, which however came to an end after

1564-622: The French Air Force introduced the C-160G Gabriel variant, a SIGINT aircraft easily to distinguish because of the antennas fitted to the aircraft. Until the early 2000s, also the C-160H Astarte was used, while Astarté (Avion Station Relais de Transmissions Exceptionelles), meaning "airborne relay station for special transmissions", was used for communication with submerged French nuclear submarines. Since 1999, all

1632-411: The French Air Force ordered an updated version designated C-160NG , for Nouvelle Génération ("New Generation"). From 1981, 29 of these aircraft were delivered, half of them configured as tanker aircraft for aerial refuelling . Another four were configured as C-160H Astarté TACAMO aircraft for communication with submerged submarines , a vital component of France's nuclear deterrent system. In

1700-643: The French Defence Ministry announced a modernisation of the C-160 fleet, enabling it to continue in service until 2018 if required. In late 2011, it was announced that Germany's Transall fleet had accumulated a combined total of one million flight hours. As of 2012 , the global C-160 fleet was approaching the end of its service life; all South African C-160s have already been retired, while the Turkish Air Force continued to operate 20 aircraft obtained from Germany ( C-160T ). To replace

1768-549: The German companies Weser Flugzeugbau (which became Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke (VFW) in 1964) and Hamburger Flugzeugbau (HFB) to design and build the new transport. The new aircraft was required to carry a 16,000 kilograms (35,000 lb) cargo over a range of 1,720 kilometres (930 nmi; 1,070 mi) or a load of 8,000 kg (18,000 lb) over a range of 4,540 km (2,450 nmi; 2,820 mi) and be able to operate out of semi-prepared airstrips. One prototype

1836-536: The Sagaie is its low power-to-weight ratio . The Sagaie 2 is an ERC, extended with two Peugeot XD 3T four-cylinder turbocharged diesel 98 hp engines, the same engine used on the VBL (Light Armoured Vehicle). Six were ordered by Gabon . A prototype equipped with two PRV V6 engines was built as a private venture, but none were ordered. Panhard Panhard was a French motor vehicle manufacturer that began as one of

1904-581: The South African aircraft were all built by Nord. From 1981 on, some new C-160 reached the wings of Armee de l'Air. The now C-160NG (Nouvelle Generation, New Generation) called aircraft has a fifth fuel tank in the middle of the wing above the fuselage, a refueling probe while the left side cargo door was removed. Some first-production series C-160F were fitted with the NG-versions changes and renamed C-160R (Renové). Beside these changes, in 1989,

1972-598: The Transall's self-protection suite. The last German Transall wing was disbanded in December 2021. The initial production run of 169 aircraft were built by the three companies in France and Germany; Nord built 56 aircraft, VFW built 57 aircraft and HFB/MBB 56 (HFB became part of Messerchmitt-Bolkow-Blohm in 1969 during the production run). All three production lines produced a mixture of aircraft for France and Germany but

2040-478: The Transall, the German, French and South African Air Forces ordered 60, 50 and eight Airbus A400Ms , respectively; the South African order was later cancelled. In 2015, it was announced that the retirement of Germany's Transall fleet had been pushed back from 2018 to 2021 due to delays with the Airbus A400M; until 2021, a decreasing number of aircraft shall remain in service to perform missions that require

2108-587: The Turkish armed forces in 1971, these aircraft provided great amount of lift during the operation. In April 1976, the French Air Force used 12 C-160s in support of Operation Verveine , airlifting Moroccan troops and equipment to Zaïre during a border conflict with Angola . In May 1978, several C-160s dropped paratroopers of the French Foreign Legion during the Battle of Kolwezi . In 1977,

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2176-433: The ability to perform steep descents of up to 20 degrees and perform landings on airstrips as short as 400 meters. In the airlift role, a later production C-160 could carry up to 8.5 tons across a distance of 5,000 kilometers, and take off from airstrips as short as 700 meters. Dependent upon aircraft configuration, a single aircraft could airdrop as many as 88 paratroopers or transport up to 93 equipped troops. The C-160

2244-514: The aircraft's operating lifespan up to and if necessary beyond 55 years to 2018. In 2003–2004, Germany signed separate contracts with Terma A/S and Northrop Grumman to upgrade the aircraft's electronic warfare self-protection and missile approach warning systems . In July 1974, the Turkish Air Force used 7 C-160Ds during the invasion of Cyprus , to transport troops, drop paratroopers and carry supplies. Having entered service with

2312-455: The axle. This device has been widely used on other automobiles or as an aftermarket upgrade to rear axles for vintage American cars. Panhard has supplied more than 18,000 military wheeled vehicles to over 50 countries with a range of combat vehicles weighing less than 10 tonnes, as follows: Transall C-160 The Transall C-160 is a military transport aircraft , produced as a joint venture between France and Germany . " Transall "

2380-470: The bodies and several other components out of aluminum. Thus the Dyna X and early Dyna Z series 1 had aluminum bodies. Unfortunately, cost calculations by Jean Panhard, the inheriting son and managing director of the firm, failed to account for the extra cost of aluminum vs steel. His calculations were made for the sheet metal panel area actually utilized per body shell, and did not account for the scrap of each of

2448-660: The bridges in Africa had only a 6 to 8 ton load capacity. So instead of the larger AMX-10RC, which was already in service with the French Army, the French Army Staff took the surprise step in December 1980 of ordering the Sagaie for the future FDF. To date, the Sagaie has proved very useful for the French Army in its African bases and even in urban conditions during the Siege of Sarajevo . The last known combat uses of

2516-418: The capability to raise or lower the central pair of wheels depending on terrain condition, especially in sandy or muddy ground. All versions of the ERC are also equipped with two hydrojets behind the rear wheels and require no preparation for amphibious operations. Shortly after the ERC 90 F1 Lynx had been built for export, Panhard recognized the need for a cost-effective light armoured vehicle that could defeat

2584-474: The cast iron ones that had been fitted in Panhard sleeve valve engines since 1910, and this already gave rise to an improved friction coefficient permitting engines to run at higher speeds. To reduce further the risk of engines jamming, the outer sleeves, which are less thermally stressed than the inner sleeves, were coated on their inner sides with an anti-friction material, employing a patented technique with which Panhard engineers had been working since 1923. This

2652-415: The civilian branch was absorbed by Citroën, and the marque was retired. From 1968 Panhard only made armored vehicles. In 2004, Panhard lost a competition to another manufacturer of military vehicles, Auverland , for the choice of the future PVP of the French Army. This allowed Auverland to purchase Panhard, then a subsidiary of PSA Peugeot Citroën , in 2005. However, the fame of Panhard being greater, it

2720-477: The company was renamed Panhard (without "Levassor"), and produced light cars such as the Dyna X , Dyna Z , PL 17 , 24 CT and 24 BT . The company had long noted the weight advantages of aluminum, and this as well as postwar government steel rationing (designed to limit new car models to ensure an orderly return to production at the major firms), encouraged the firm to proceed with the expensive alternative of making

2788-608: The deadly 1955 Le Mans . In the latter half of the 1950s and the early 1960s, the Deutsch Bonnet racers ("DB Panhard") picked up this mantle and went on to dominate the "Index of Performance" as well as other small-engine racing classes. The last Panhard passenger car was built in 1967. After assembling 2CV panel trucks for Citroën to utilize capacity during falling sales, and raising operating cash by selling ownership progressively to Citroën, respectively to its mother company Michelin (full control as of 1965), in autumn of 1967

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2856-475: The development of a Noratlas successor on 28 November 1957. The Italian government also became involved in the project early on to meet their own requirements, however Italy's participation in the fledgling program was soon terminated in favour of the smaller and locally-built Fiat G.222 . The consortium, "Transporter-Allianz" or Transall, was formed in January 1959 between the French company Nord Aviation and

2924-405: The first makers of automobiles . It was a manufacturer of light tactical and military vehicles. Its final incarnation, now owned by Renault Trucks Defense , was formed by the acquisition of Panhard by Auverland in 2005, and then by Renault in 2012. In 2018 Renault Trucks Defense, ACMAT and Panhard combined under a single brand, Arquus . Panhard was originally called Panhard et Levassor , and

2992-431: The late 1950s, a requirement arose to replace the piston-engined Nord Noratlas transports operated by the air forces of both France ( Armée de l'Air ) and Germany ( Luftwaffe ). Keen to encourage industrial co-operation between the two countries, as had happened under a previous arrangement in which Noratlases for German service had been built under license by Weser Flugzeugbau , France and Germany signed an agreement for

3060-594: The light armour role. At the time, the French Army was organising the Fast Deployment Force (FDF) for overseas military missions, mainly in Africa or the Middle East. The main core of the FDF was the French Army's 9th Marine Infantry Division and the 11th Parachute Division. To make the new FDF "more muscular" a new unit was activated, the 31st Heavy Half Brigade (31 DBL), with two regiments. One regiment

3128-506: The long border between Argentina and Chile . The second large order was from Mexico , for 42 units in early 1981. Both countries ordered the ERC Lynx version because it could elevate or depress its 90mm cannon over a wider range for operations in steep mountain terrain. Further export orders followed. Both nations also appreciated the all-terrain mobility of the Lynx which is enhanced by

3196-783: The new variant was split 50-50 between Aérospatiale (the successor to Nord) and MBB (which had absorbed VFW and HFB), with a single assembly line in Toulouse . The cargo loading door on the port side of the fuselage was replaced by provision for additional fuel tanks in the wing centre section. When fitted these tanks increased fuel capacity from 19,000 litres (4,190 imp gal) to 28,000 litres (6,170 imp gal). The aircraft were also fitted with updated avionics. The first second generation C-160 took flight in 1981. Aircraft produced in this batch included 29 for France (an additional four non-standard aircraft were constructed for special missions), and 6 for Indonesia. The Transall C-160

3264-600: The opposing force's logistical efforts. In one particular mission, a C-160 was used to move a captured SA-8 from Angola to South Africa. The C-160 was chosen for this task over the C-130 because of its larger cargo hold and its ability to lower its hull while on the ground, which facilitated the loading of the heavy vehicle. The C-160 has been a prominent component of several other international efforts. Germany's C-160 fleet has been used to support peacekeeping efforts in Sudan ,

3332-451: The second generation C-160 retained the original operating characteristics to simplify crew transfers between types. The second generation C-160s were also designed for potential adaptation to other roles such as maritime patrol and aerial fire fighting. The C-160 proved to be a versatile aircraft, leading to a long operational service life. Between its introduction and 1999, approximately 2000 modifications and upgrades were incorporated upon

3400-470: The sleeve valve engined Panhard 20HP. General Joffre himself used two 35HP Panhard Type X35s with massive 4-cylinder 7,360 cc (449 cu in) engines for his personal transport, and these were frequently to be seen by Parisians carrying military leaders between the front-line and the Élysée Palace . Following the return to peace in 1918, Panhard resumed passenger car production in March 1919 with

3468-554: The sleeve valve technology by Panhard's own engineering department, from 1924 till 1940 all Panhard cars used sleeve valve engines . Under the presidency of Raymond Poincaré , which ran from 1913 till 1920, Panhard & Levassor's 18CV and 20CV models were the official presidential cars. During the war Panhard, like other leading automobile producers, concentrated on war production, including large numbers of military trucks, V12-cylinder aero-engines, gun components, and large 75 and 105 diameter shells. The military were also keen on

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3536-567: The stamping dies. The air-cooled flat-twin engine of the Dyna was used by Georges Irat for his "Voiture du Bled" (VdB) off-road vehicle, built in Morocco in small numbers in the early 1950s. Drawing inspiration from the Panhard Dynavia concept, the styling of the Dyna Z was distinctively smooth and rounded, with an emphasis on aerodynamics and an overall minimalist design. The 24CT was a later (from summer 1963 on) stylish 2+2 seater;

3604-486: The stampings making up the shell. Once in production, a re-examination showed a cost of 55,700fr for aluminum shells and only 15,600fr for steel. The use of aluminum had pushed the firm close to bankruptcy, and a hurried engineering job returned the firm to steel. Thus, the later Dyna Z (from mid September 1955) and the successor PL 17 bodies were steel, and the major stampings retained the heavier gauge intended for durability with aluminum, so as to avoid complete replacement of

3672-549: The standard until Cadillac introduced synchromesh in 1928.) This was to become the standard layout for automobiles for most of the next century. The same year, Panhard et Levassor shared their Daimler engine license with bicycle maker Armand Peugeot , who formed his own car company. In 1895, 1,205 cc (74 cu in) Panhard et Levassor vehicles finished first and second in the Paris–Bordeaux–Paris race, one piloted solo by Levassor, for 48¾hr. However, during

3740-750: The three main partners. The first production airframes were delivered to France and Germany from 1967. The first batch included 110 C-160D s for the German Air Force ( Luftwaffe ), 50 C-160F s for the French Air Force , and nine C-160Z s for the South African Air Force . Four C-160Fs were converted to C-160P air mail transport aircraft, and were operated by Air France . Production continued until October 1972. In July 1977, France placed an order for 25 aircraft to be built to an improved standard. Production work for

3808-559: The type's first flight in 1963. It has provided logistical support to overseas operations and has served in specialist roles such as an aerial refueling tanker, electronic intelligence gathering, and as a communications platform. The C-160 is replaced in French and German service by the Airbus A400M Atlas , and a small number of Lockheed-Martin C-130J Super Hercules operated in a multinational unit. In

3876-547: The type, split 60/40 between the structure and equipment respectively. Many changes were made over time in regards to the aircraft's avionics, incorporating new features such as GPS and laser inertial navigation systems, modern autopilot and crew management systems. Other improvements and additions to the type include kevlar armour, electronic warfare management systems, chaff/flare dispensers, missile approach warning systems and TCAS collision warning system. Extensive efforts have been made by both France and Germany to extend

3944-597: The vehicles to France's Mobile Gendarmerie , a much smaller order, but the Gendarmerie chose the Saviem VBC-90 . Panhard later found success for both the VRC and ERC in the world export market, and later with the ERC version with the French Army, entering service in 1984. The first production order for the ERC 90 F1 Lynx was in October 1979 from Argentina , for 36 units, to be used by Argentine Marines to patrol

4012-518: The wings. Subsequent programs carried out in the 1990s, such as LEDA III, concentrated on the whole structure of the aircraft; raising the airframe life from 8,000 flights to 12,000 flights, and introducing new avionics systems such as a self-defence system and a replacement flight management system. From 1994 to 1999, all French C-160s underwent an avionics upgrade and the addition of new anti-missile countermeasures. The C-160Fs and NGs so updated were redesignated C-160R ( Renové —"renovated"). In 2009,

4080-455: Was also an 8-cylinder 5.1 L (310 cu in) Panhard Type X67 on display, with a generous 3,590 mm (141.3 in) wheelbase and listed, even in bare chassis form, at 85,000 francs. Panhard et Levassor's last pre-war car was the unusually styled monocoque Dynamic series, first introduced in 1936. Panhard et Levassor also produced railbuses, including some for the metre gauge Chemin de fer du Finistère . After World War II

4148-584: Was also an armoured reconnaissance vehicle, with the added secondary role of tank-destroyer. In 1977, Panhard offered the ERC and VCR to the French Army as an armoured personnel carrier (APC) and gun-armed reconnaissance vehicle. The Army instead chose the VAB four-wheeled armoured vehicle from Saviem for the larger APC contract, and the AMX 10 RC from GIAT for the reconnaissance requirement. Panhard also offered

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4216-583: Was an example of the 8-cylinder 6350cc (35CV) "Huit" model which Panhard had offered since 1921 and which at the 1926 show was priced by the manufacturer in bare chassis form at 99,000 francs. When Panhard presented their 1931 line-up at the Paris Motor Show in October 1930, their last two four-cylinder models had been withdrawn, along with the 10CV six-cylinder Type X59. Instead they concentrated on their "S-series" cars, designated " Panhard CS " and "Panhard DS" according to engine size, and introduced

4284-541: Was built by each of the production partners, with the first (built by Nord) flying on 25 February 1963, with the VFW and HFB-built prototypes following on 25 May 1963 and 19 February 1964. These were followed by six pre-production examples, stretched by 51 centimetres (20 in) compared with the prototypes, which flew between 1965 and 1966. Production orders were delayed by attempts by Lockheed to sell its C-130 Hercules transport to Germany; these attempts were rebuffed, and

4352-455: Was decided to retain the name; the PVP designed by Auverland would bear a Panhard badge. In October 2012, Renault Trucks Defense , division of Swedish Volvo Group since 2001, finalized the acquisition of Panhard for 62.5 million euros. Today the only use of the name Panhard is in the Panhard rod (also called Panhard bar), a suspension link invented by Panhard that provides lateral location of

4420-517: Was established as an automobile manufacturing concern by René Panhard , Émile Levassor , and Belgian lawyer Edouard Sarazin in 1887. Panhard et Levassor sold their first automobile in 1890, based on a Daimler engine license. Levassor obtained his licence from Paris lawyer Edouard Sarazin, a friend and representative of Gottlieb Daimler 's interests in France. Following Sarazin's 1887 death, Daimler commissioned Sarazin's widow Louise to carry on her late husband's agency. The Panhard et Levassor license

4488-415: Was finalised by Louise, who married Levassor in 1890. Daimler and Levassor became friends, and shared improvements with one another. These first vehicles set many modern standards, but each was a one-off design. They used a clutch pedal to operate a chain-driven gearbox . The vehicle also featured a front-mounted radiator . An 1895 Panhard et Levassor is credited with the first modern transmission . For

4556-427: Was one of several improvements applied by Panhard engineers to the basic Knight sleeve-valve engine concept. In 1925 a 4,800 cc (290 cu in) model set the world record for the fastest hour run, an average of 185.51 km/h (115.26 mph). A surprise appeared on the Panhard stand at the 20th Paris Motor Show in October 1926, in the shape of the manufacturer's first six-cylinder model since before

4624-663: Was to be armed with vehicles mounting the HOT wire-guided missile , and the other with cannon-armed vehicles that could provide both reconnaissance and a limited tank-killing role. The French Army had at first planned on equipping the second regiment with the AMX-10RC , but were told that this vehicle was not suitable for transport by the French Air Force Transall C-160 or its allies' Hercules C-130 aircraft, due to size and weight issues. In addition, most of

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