Louis Delagarde
Albert Marie Louis Delagarde | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1898-09-05 Vitry-le-François, France |
| Died | 1990-04-25 Bourg-la-Reine, arrondissement of Antony, France |
| Occupation(s) | Engineer, automotive designer |
| Known for | Contributions to Panhard & Levassor, design of military vehicles and Dyna Panhard engine |
Albert Marie Louis Delagarde (1898–1990) was a distinguished engineer and automotive designer, best known for his contributions to the French automobile manufacturer Panhard & Levassor.
Biography
Born on September 5, 1898, in Vitry-le-François, Delagarde lost his father, a judge, in 1906. Following this, his mother moved the family to Rue d'Assas in Paris. He pursued his education at Bossuet, Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, and Collège Stanislas de Paris, where he cultivated a lasting enthusiasm for motorcycles.
In April 1917, he enlisted in the French military and by June 1918 commanded an artillery section operating Renault FT tanks at the front lines. Despite sustaining three injuries, he was awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Légion d'Honneur. During periods of respite, he prepared for admission to the École Centrale Paris.
Completing his studies at École Centrale by late 1921, Delagarde began working at Panhard with an initial monthly wage of 600 francs. He married Lucie Blard in 1924, and together they had ten children. His advancements in gasifier technology earned him the rank of Officier de la Légion d'honneur in 1949.
Delagarde died on April 25, 1990, in Bourg-la-Reine, located within the arrondissement of Antony.
Military
Delagarde’s initial projects at Panhard focused on enhancing military gas generators ("gasifiers"), notably incorporating a nozzle design from collaborator Jean Gohin alongside his own filtration system improvements.
He played a key role in designing Panhard's military vehicles beginning with the 1928 AMD 165 armored reconnaissance car. This design was further developed into models 172, 175, and ultimately the well-known 178, where Delagarde introduced chassis configurations that improved protection against direct hits.
Together with Géry in 1938, he created the AM 201 prototype—an innovative eight-wheeled armored vehicle featuring four rubber-tired outer wheels complemented by four retractable steel "agricultural" wheels positioned centrally.
Following World War II, Delagarde was instrumental in shaping the Panhard EBR ("Engin Blindé de Reconnaissance"). He engineered an armored chassis with angled plating designed to deflect incoming fire and developed its air-cooled 6.0 L flat-twelve engine delivering gasoline power. The engine’s placement allowed for driving stations at both front and rear ends to facilitate versatile maneuvering and provided space for two turret operators. The French army selected the EBR in 1949; it notably transported General de Gaulle’s remains from Paris to Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises.
Dyna Panhard
In 1939, when Panhard's design department relocated to Tarbes, Delagarde designed an air-cooled flat-twin engine intended for a compact front-wheel-drive vehicle conceived by Jean Panhard and styled by Louis Bionier. Early concepts from 1941 referred to this model as VP ("Voiture Populaire" or People's Car), which transitioned from a two-door to a four-door VP2 configuration.
Drawing on his motorcycle experience, Delagarde’s engine employed an air-cooled boxer arrangement. To prevent issues with cylinder head joints, the heads were cast integrally with the cylinders as "blind" units. The crankshaft utilized roller bearing big ends and ball bearing main journals and incorporated Delagarde’s patented "inverter rollers" to extend bearing lifespan—a design later acquired by SKF. The connecting rods were manufactured as a single piece, and valve operation relied on elongated torsion bars instead of conventional coil springs or pre-war Knight-style sleeve valves, thereby increasing valve force through interconnected torsion bars.
He also developed a four-speed transaxle featuring a direct third gear and an overdrive fourth gear.
After being excluded from steel allocations under the Pons Plan, Panhard licensed a similar lightweight automobile designed by J.A. Grégoire, initially named "Automobile Légère Grégoire" (ALG), which used light metal alloys. With support from Aluminium Français (AF), the project was renamed "Aluminium Français Grégoire" (AFG). Backed by AF, Panhard resumed passenger car production by replacing the original chassis and suspension with their own designs and upgrading Delagarde’s flat-twin engine to produce from the AFG’s unit. Notably, Delagarde’s engine predated Grégoire's design and delivered greater power. This updated vehicle entered production as the Dyna Panhard.
Additional Contributions
At the outset of his tenure with Panhard, Delagarde was involved in designing trucks and diesel engines. Working alongside Louis Bionier and the technical director Pasquelin, he played a key role in developing the mechanical systems for the 1936 Panhard Dynamic. In 1950, he obtained a patent for an innovative single-bar mechanism to close engine valves. After dedicating almost 55 years to Panhard, Delagarde retired in 1975.
Distinctions
- Croix de Guerre 1914–1918
- Officier of the Légion d'honneur