Text : Fr

Examined from a military perspective, the Panhard & Levassor company is best known for its self-propelled guns. These, from the Panhard-Genty of the Moroccan campaign in 1908 to the eight-wheeled prototype of 1940 which later gave birth to the EBR, are of course present in this new work. But it is above all a completely unknown aspect of the production of the manufacturer of the avenue d'Ivry which is highlighted there: the Panhard vans and trucks having served under the flags of the dawn of the XXth century until the armistice of June 1940.

During the First World War, Panhard delivered thousands of liaison cars and covered vans to the French armies, as well as specialised vehicles: medical vehicles, squadron breaks and above all remarkable four-wheel drive artillery tractors. During the inter-war period in mainland France, the manufacturer specialised in gas-powered trucks, while in Morocco in the thirties, Panhard's large carriers, adapted to hot countries, travelled the tracks following the brand's armoured cars. Finally, during the period of rearmament and the 1939-1940 campaign, Panhard, although it was concentrated on the production of its famous self-propelled discovery machine (AMD 35), nevertheless produced several thousand 3.5 t and 5 t trucks.