Simon Cars - Panhard PL 17

Panhard PL17

In 1959 the Dyna Z was replaced by the PL17 although the mid section of the body continued onto the new car with new front and rear. Having dropped the 'et Levassor' part of the Panhard et Levassor name in the 1940s, the PL17 added it back. The '17' was made up of 5CV plus 6 seats plus 6 litres per 100Km consumption. Although in late 1963 the 'PL' were dropped as Citroen marked its take over. In 1961 the Panhard PL17 achieved a 1, 2, 3 in the Monte Carlo Rallye. An upgraded 848cc version of the flat twin engine gave 50bhp or 60bhp for the Tigre from 1963. However, the Panhard PL17 was pricey and lost out to more conventional cars such as the Simca Aronde. Production ended in 1965 as Citroen finalised its takeover of Panhard, although a final PL24 model did take over until 1967.

aa Panhard PL17 1959 badger

Panhard PL17 1959 - badge on rear flanks

aa Panhard PL17 L1 1959 badgep

Panhard PL17 L1 1959 - badge

ac Panhard PL17 L1 1959 head

Panhard PL17 L1 1959. The flat twin engine first given to the Dyna X was now down-sized to 848cc to suit taxation classes. It was available as 50hp or the 60hp Tigre version

Panhard PL17 L1 1959 - front

Panhard PL17 L1 1959. Still with suicide doors until the L4 model in 1961

Panhard PL17 L1 1960 frontb

Panhard PL17 L1 1960. This is the original PL17, the centre of the body carried over from the Dyna Z, and still has the suicide front doors.

Panhard PL17 L1 1960 rear

Panhard PL17 L1 1960. This is the original PL17, the centre of the body carried over from the Dyna Z, and still has the suicide front doors. The rear lamps are triple lens units and bumpers are plain forms.

Panhard PL17 L4 1961 GS front

Panhard PL17 L4 1961 GS. The 'Grand Standing' model was offered in two-tone paint

Panhard PL17 L6 1963 front

Panhard PL17 1963 L6. In 1963 the L6 version of the PL17 is launched with revised lighting front and rear and a revised M6 version of the 848cc engine.

Panhard PL17 L7 1963 Tigre front

Panhard PL17 L7 1963 Tigre. Introduced in 1959 the PL17 replaced the Dyna Z and originally had an 851cc flat twin air-cooled engine, but in 1963 a newer 848cc engine offered 50bhp (or 60bhp for this 'Tigre' version). For 1963 the L6 model got modest restyling, with the front indicators fitted to the side of the headlamps, and an extended roofline.

Panhard PL17 L7 1963 Tigre rear

Panhard PL17 L7 1963 Tigre. For 1963 the PL17 is given an extended rear roof line and lip over the rear window resulting in more head room for rear seat passengers. Ribbed bumpers are now fitted.

s Panhard PL17 L1 1959 side

Panhard PL17 L1 1959 GS. Still with suicide doors until the L4 model in 1961. The wheelbase was 101-inches to give a roomy 6-seater

s Panhard PL17 L4 1961 side

Panhard PL17 L4 1961, no longer with suicide doors.

s Panhard PL17 L6 1963 side

Panhard PL17 1963 L6. The L6 version announced in 1963 had revisions front and rear and an extended roofline to give more headroom in the back seats.

Panhard Dyna Z1 1956 front

Panhard Dyna Z 1956. Panhard gave its Dyna X an 851cc flat twin air-cooled engine which was gradually uprated, achieving 50bhp for the 1958 Tigre model.

D-B HBR5 1959 front

Deutsch et Bonnet (D-B) HBR5 1959.

s Panhard CD Rallye 1965 side

Panhard CD Rallye 1965. Charles Deutsch (of Deutsch et Bonnet) developed the CD Rallye from his design for the CD Dyna Le Mans car. This was designed with aerodynamicist Lucien Romani and Marcel Hubert for the 1962 24 heures du Mans. The production Panhard CD achieved a drag coefficient of 0.22.

Citroen Dyane 6 1982 front

Citroen Dyane 6 1982 Cote d-Azur.. Starting as a project to redesign the Citroen 2CV, the design was given to the newly acquired Panhard design time under the leadership of Louis Bionier. Citroen's own Jacques Charreton altered the design of the 'Projet AY' somewhat. Named 'Dyane', possibly as a reference to the Panhard Dyna and Dynamic models, or maybe a reference to a Goddess ('DS' is a pun on 'Deesse' - the word for Goddess), the Citroen Dyane was launched at the 1967 Paris Salon.

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