Panhard 24
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1887 |
| Fate | Ceased passenger car production in 1967, focused on light military vehicles |
| Headquarters | Paris , France |
| Owner | Citroën (from 1965) |
The Panhard 24 is a small two-door coupé manufactured by the French company Panhard between 1964 and 1967. It is equipped with a front-mounted, air-cooled boxer-twin engine, a design that originated in the 1940s. In 1965, a version with an extended wheelbase was launched, marketed as a two-door saloon offering seating for four or five passengers. The Panhard 24 represents the last passenger car produced by the manufacturer; from 1967 onward, Panhard concentrated solely on producing light military vehicles.
Background
In 1955, Citroën acquired a 25% ownership stake in Panhard’s automobile division, leading to the gradual integration of their sales networks over the following two years. This collaboration enabled dealers representing both brands to provide a comprehensive lineup: small vehicles (Citroën 2CV), mid-range saloons (Panhard Dyna Z), and larger models (Citroën DS). The unified dealership system contributed to increased sales for both the Dyna Z and its successor, the Panhard PL 17.
Citroën also benefited from additional manufacturing capacity at Panhard’s factory in Paris, where 2CV Fourgonettes light commercial vans were produced alongside Panhard passenger cars.
Throughout the late 1950s, Citroën expanded its product range downward with competitively priced models such as the Citroën ID and, in 1961, introduced the Citroën Ami, a modernized and more upscale derivative of the 2CV. The idea of filling this segment with a Citroën-branded vehicle had been conceived well before the launch of the Citroën GS in 1970.
Efforts by Panhard to modernize the PL 17 faced opposition from Citroën’s president Pierre Bercot, who was reluctant to approve any new vehicle that might compete with Citroën’s existing or forthcoming models. This opposition likely led to replacing the spacious four-door PL 17 with the more compact two-door coupé Panhard 24. Although the design team proposed developing a four-cylinder engine, this was dismissed in favor of retaining the current two-cylinder powerplant due to cost considerations.
Plans for additional variants of the Panhard 24—including a four-door sedan, five-door station wagon, and even a convertible—were also halted despite styling prototypes being created.
Body
Automotive reviewers commended the Panhard 24 for its sleek and contemporary profile characterized by a low roofline and a pronounced raised beltline, drawing comparisons to the Chevrolet Corvair. While monocoque construction was becoming standard, the 24 maintained a separate tubular steel chassis which permitted slender window pillars, resulting in an open-feeling cabin with excellent outward visibility. Structural strength was further enhanced through pleating and reinforcement of the roof panel. The chassis architecture incorporated tubular steel front and rear subframes bolted to flat steel side members and floor sections, largely preserving elements from the earlier Dyna 54 model.
The flat-twin engine’s compact height and absence of a radiator allowed for an aerodynamic front design aligned with contemporary styling trends. Unlike the Citroën DS—which positioned its taller inline-four engine further back—the Panhard 24 achieved efficiency through its smaller powertrain layout.
Its twin headlamps were set back beneath clear covers, a design feature that later influenced vehicles such as the Citroën DS (1967). The front bumpers and fenders were crafted from stainless steel and composed of three replaceable segments each, seamlessly integrated into the bodywork to minimize air resistance—a design approach that anticipated elements seen on later models like the Citroën XM.
Interior
The Panhard 24 came equipped with front seatbacks that could be adjusted in 24 different positions, along with seats featuring adjustable height—innovative features for its era—and offered optional seat belts. The passenger-side sun visor included a vanity mirror illuminated by a light, while the steering wheel was designed to be adjustable. The climate control system incorporated demisters for both the front and rear windshields to improve visibility.
A more basic model, the 24 BA, was briefly produced in 1966, with production limited to just 161 units.
Engine
Although the Panhard 24 boasted a contemporary body design, it retained the air-cooled, two-cylinder boxer engine with an 848 cc displacement—an evolution of the powerplant originally introduced in the 1947 Panhard 610 cc boxer. By the time it was used in the Dyna Z in 1954, this engine delivered outputs of either 42 or 50 CV, options that persisted through both the PL 17 and the 24 models. Engineered primarily for lightweight aluminium-bodied vehicles, this compact and efficient engine became less suitable by the 1960s as steel-bodied cars increased overall weight. The top speed varied from 135 kph for the long-wheelbase 42 CV variant to 150 kph for the short-wheelbase 50 CV model; a version powered by a Tiger 10 S engine reportedly achieved speeds up to 160 kph. While its performance aligned with the car’s sporty character, the air-cooled flat-twin was regarded as underpowered when compared to the four-cylinder water-cooled engines that dominated its market segment.
Running gear
The Panhard 24 retained well-established mechanical components including a four-speed gearbox with full synchromesh, front-wheel drive, and rack-and-pinion steering. Its suspension system employed independent wheels fitted with telescopic shock absorbers and a torsion bar rear axle. Early versions featured exposed finned drum brakes integrated into the wheels; however, these were criticized for insufficient braking power and vibration issues. From 1965 onward, front disc brakes were introduced on the 24BT and 24CT models.
Chronology
Introduced on 23 June 1963, the launch model was a two-tone plum and grey Panhard 24 CT; however, production vehicles did not include such special paint schemes. By 1964, two variants were available: the entry-level four-seater 24 C equipped with a 42 CV engine—which experienced poor sales and was discontinued after one year—and the better-appointed 24 CT featuring a 50 CV engine that remained in production until 1967. Both models shared identical wheelbase lengths and interior dimensions.
Sales failed to meet initial expectations from launch, limiting opportunities for further development such as a planned four-door version. While mid-sized two-door sedans found favor in Germany and Alpine countries, French consumers generally preferred four-door configurations for higher volume sales.
In 1965, longer wheelbase versions—the Panhard 24 B and 24 BT—were introduced to provide more cabin space accommodating four or five passengers but maintained two-door layouts and retained existing engine and equipment specifications. In an effort to attract volume buyers in 1966, Panhard launched the basic Panhard 24 BA featuring a stripped-down interior; however, this model conflicted with the brand’s upscale positioning and saw limited production numbers.
Following Citroën’s full acquisition of Panhard’s automotive division in April 1965, annual output declined sharply from approximately 10,000 units during 1964–65 to about half that figure by 1966. Citroën focused on producing its higher-demand 2CV Fourgonettes at Panhard’s manufacturing facility instead of investing further resources into continuing or developing the Panhard 24 line.
Production officially ceased on 20 July 1967.
Citroën addressed its gap in the medium-sized sedan market with the launch of the GS in 1970—a modern aerodynamic vehicle equipped with a compact air-cooled four-cylinder boxer engine and front-wheel drive—reflecting what might have been a natural evolution of the Panhard 24 had it been fully developed as a successor to the PL17.
Uruguayan Manufacture of the Panhard 24 CT
In Uruguay, an unauthorized version of the Panhard 24 CT featuring a fibreglass body was crafted by a domestic producer targeting the local market. These Uruguayan models can be distinguished by their bumpers, which are made from fibreglass and painted to match the body colour. Production on this South American variant continued beyond the official French production run, with the final units marketed as 1968 models.
Technical Specifications
Rear suspension type: Braking system front/rear: Chassis and body construction: Approximate dry weight: Track width, front/rear: Wheelbase length: Overall length: Vehicle width: Height dimension:| Panhard 24 | C coupé (short) | CT coupé (short) | B saloon (long) | BT saloon (long) | BA saloon (long) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production period: | 1963–1964 | 1963–1967 | 1964–1967 | 1964–1967 | 1965–1966 | |
| Number built: | 1,623 | 14,181 | 2,037 | 10,649 | 161 | |
| Engine type: | Front-mounted 2-cylinder boxer (four-stroke engine) | |||||
| Cylinder bore x stroke: | 84.85 mm × 75 mm (3.3 in × 3.0 in) | |||||
| Engine displacement: | 848 cc (51.75 cu in) | |||||
| Maximum power output at rpm: | 42 CV (31 kW) at 5250 50 CV (37 kW) at 5250 |
50 CV (37 kW) at 5750 60 CV (44 kW) at 5750 |
42 CV (31 kW) at 5250 50 CV (37 kW) at 5250 |
50 CV (37 kW) at 5750 60 CV (44 kW) at 5750 |
42 CV (31 kW) at 5250 50 CV (37 kW) at 5250 | |
| Compression ratio: | - | 8.3:1 | - | 8.3:1 | - | |
| Fuel delivery system: | Single Zenith Carburetters 36 WIN | Single Zenith Carburetters 38 NDIX | Single Zenith Carburetters 36 WIN | Single Zenith Carburetters 38 NDIX | Single Zenith Carburetters 36 WIN | |
| Fuel tank capacity: | 42 L (9.2 imp gal; 11 US gal) | |||||
| Valve mechanism: | Two valves per cylinder, torsion-bar valve springs, integrated fixed cylinder head | |||||
| Cooling system: | Air-cooled engine | |||||
| Transmission: | Four-speed fully synchromesh manual gearbox, front-wheel drive | |||||
| Electrical system voltage: | 12-volt | |||||
| Front suspension type: | Independent suspension with leaf springs | |||||
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colspan="5" | Twin torsion bars combined with tube shock absorbers |
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colspan="5" | Tubular frame chassis paired with a separate all-steel body shell |
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colspan="5" | 830–840 kg (1,830–1,850 lb) |
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colspan="5" | 1295⁄1295 min (60.0 s) |
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colspan="2" | 2,286 min (137,200 s) |
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Additional sources and recommended reading
- Dominique Pagneux, Guide Panhard: all models from 1945 to 1967, E/P/A, 1993
- Dominique Pagneux, Panhard, The Definitive Book, E/P/A, Paris 1996
- Bernard Vermeylen, Panhard and Levassor: balancing heritage and innovation, ETAI, 2005
- Yann Le Lay and Bernard Vermeylen, "My Father's Panhard 24", ETAI, 1996
- L'Archives du Collectionneur, e.p.a. covering Dyna 54 and related models such as PL17 and 24
- Benoit Pérot, "Panhard: The Avant-Garde Pioneer", e.p.a., Paris, 1979
- Official Panhard factory service manuals and parts catalogs