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Topic starter
30/12/2024 12:30 pm
This BoS model of the 1936 Panhard et Levassor Dynamic was gifted to the Smithsonian American Art Museum in 2017 and is now on display as an example of the Art Moderne movement. With it's unusual split A pillar with curved glass insert known as the "Panoramique" to reduce the blind spots inherent in flat windscreens, headlamps integrated into the wings, front and rear spats, it offered an unusual approch to the conflct in France whether to have left hand or right hand drive... they put the steering wheel in the middle (which actually satisfied no one). The winged theme is rife throughout the vehicle starting with the tutone paint design flowing around the spats to the myriad of wing shapes and winged figures about the trim, headlamps bezels, and hood ornament. The car, designed by Louis Bonier created quite a stir when it debuted at the 1936 Paris Auto Show and a lot of the design cues were copied by other manufacturers in later years.
30/12/2024 4:01 pm
An unmistakable and quite attractive automobile !
30/12/2024 6:01 pm
It's easy to understand just why SO MANY of your pics are pirated & re-posted across the internet Rich. These images are print worthy .. Just gorgeous! BOS always does a nice job and this '36 is no exception. Louis Bonier probably would've paid much - willingly, for one large piece of curved glass. 😏 😏 😏
Charles Rockett and David Green reacted
31/12/2024 9:15 am
Super pictures Rich. Love your comment regarding the center steering wheel location.
31/12/2024 10:24 am
Soooo very French!
Topic starter
31/12/2024 11:00 am
@chris The Andre Dubonnet - Jacques Saoutchik collaboration of the 1938 Hispano-Suiza H6C Dubonnet "Xenia" was the first and only car with curved glass until GM's 1950 lineup. I'll post some pics.
Christopher Moroni reacted
31/12/2024 1:08 pm
As ever an interesting review and very smart photography. This Panoramique has also been cited as the first example of French Automotive Baroque which reached its apogee in the 1940s and it was also described by one wag as looking like a 'corpulent pachyderm', which sadly I've never been able to shake-off since first reading it decades ago. I love this car!
Christopher Moroni and David Green reacted