VeloceToday.com

The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

Louis Bionier and the End of Panhard

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Panhard’s last stand.

By Gijsbert-Paul Berk

From the VeloceToday Archives, April 2014

Read Part 1

Read Part 2

Read Part 3

The mighty influence of Citroën (minority shareholder but major client) in the running of Panhard became most apparent when the Panhard management in 1959 started to plan a successor of their PL 17. Monsieur Pierre Bercot, Citroën’s boss, made it clear to Jean Panhard that they would not support the Panhard Company to invest in the development of a new mid-sized ‘berline’ (four door sedan). His argument was that Citroën was shortly going to introduce the Ami, an upgraded version on the platform of the 2CV and was already working on a totally new mid-sized model (the GS) to be launched in 1970. It would be a folly to compete with each other in this segment.

However, it was agreed that there was room in the Citroën/Panhard range for a sporting two-door coupé. Thanks to its many victories in rallies and at Le Mans, the name Panhard was associated with successful small high performance cars. They should now cash in on this favorable image. Thus the idea was born to develop the Panhard 24 (the name linked to the famous 24 Hours race at Le Mans).

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100th Anniversary Le Mans Classic

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Even Shelby Cobra Daytona designer and occasional VeloceToday contributor Peter Brock (with the green cap) was on hand to support the Cobra Daytona teams.

Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt

Le Mans Classic has traditionally been held in even years. However, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and Peter Auto have deviated from the rule this year given that 2023 is the year of the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

For this unique occasion, eleven grids were brought together with 800 cars entered as well as 200 clubs representing 9,200 cars. Spectators came in large numbers; the classic event reached the figure of 235,000 three weeks after the 325,000 spectators who attended the ‘real’ 24 Hours race. This is proof that motorsport is not about to die and is even doing better than ever.

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Here’s Why I Bought a Bristol

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A Citroen and a Bristol?

Story by Brandes Elitch

I have learned over time, mostly the hard way, that when an extraordinary thing happens in life, you must seize the moment because you won’t get a second chance. You could not call this a rational or logical decision and possibly not a good financial decision; it was clearly an emotional decision, but there was nothing to be done but to pack up the car with the Motoring Dog. I told him, “Stan, let’s do this,” and he wagged his tail. [Read more…] about Here’s Why I Bought a Bristol

Participating in the 2023 Mille Miglia

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Joe Hurwich with his 1931 Aston Martin Le Mans on his fourth Mille Miglia.

By Joe Hurwich
Photos by Fabian Gallucci

On June 13th Bob Goldberg (co driver) and I started the Mille Miglia in my 1931 Aston Martin Le Mans; it was my 4th time and his 1st. My 1st Mille was in 2018 in a 1938 MG SA, then in 2019 with an original Mille car-a 1957 Fiat 600 (1st car to start the race in 1957 – this car has finished 5 Mille’s since I bought it in 2017) and in 2021 with my Aston Martin which was covered in VeloceToday.

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Bionier Part 3: The Dyna Gets Real

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By Gijsbert-Paul Berk

From the VeloceToday Archives, April 2014

Since the mid-thirties, when he had developed the body of the Dynamic, Bionier had been interested in aerodynamics. He loved to watch birds in the air and fish in aquaria. Their movements and shapes fascinated him. During the war years he had studied and even made some scale models to determine how the postwar Panhards should look.

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Mille Miglia 2023

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Sweet Mille Miglia …

Photos and captions by Vincent Yernaux
Introduction by Hugues Vanhoolandt

The 1000 Miglia 2023 was the 41st historical re-enactment of the “most beautiful race in the world, ” as once said Enzo Ferrari.
Once again, and for the third year running, it took place in the middle of the month of June, when the weather and hours of daylight offers the best possible conditions for the participants and spectators.

For the first time, the race took place over five days instead of the usual four with a start in Brescia and stages in the towns of Cervia-Milano Marittima, on the Adriatic coast, Roma, Parma, for the first time Milano and arrival in Brescia.

For the 100th anniversary of the Italian Air Force, the route of the 1000 Miglia passed through different military airbases during each leg.
In terms of numbers, 417 crews took the start and the brands most represented were Alfa Romeo (53 entrants), Fiat (44), Lancia (28), Mercedes (26) and Porsche (24) while there were 16 starting Ferraris but several of them quickly gave up.

But let’see all this through the images. (Scroll down for Ferrari) [Read more…] about Mille Miglia 2023

For the Fourth of July: MacDonald’s #00 Vette

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Art by Ed Tillock

Story by Ernie Nagamatsu

For a fitting Fourth of July, we are very happy to publish an article about the Max Balchowsky-built Corvette Special #00 as raced by Dave MacDonald, who launched his career racing Corvettes, graduated to Cobras and King Cobras, then on to Indianapolis in 1964, where he tragically died driving the Thompson Sears Special at the age of 27. Says Keeper of the Flame Ernie Nagamatsu, “Dave was the ‘chosen one’ in American motorsport, winning championships with ease at all levels. He was on a ‘mercurial’ rise as fans everywhere watched his journey. Dave was the ultimate American hero, being a crew cut handsome as a movie star Hot Rodder, family man, racing American sports cars.”

Nagamatsu was instrumental in the reconstruction of the famed #00 Corvette special, and describes the Official Launch and first viewing of the 1961 #00 MacDonald Corvette, after a two- year build, at Kent, Washington, Pacific Northwest Historic Races this past weekend.

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The Short, Exciting Life of Ron Flockhart

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Ron Flockhart the start of the 1957 Mille Miglia.

Story by David Ross

Jim Clark may have been Scotland’s first World Champion, but he was not Scotland’s first regular Grand Prix driver. Born in Edinburgh in 1923, Ron Flockhart was to become a contracted driver for the BRM Grand Prix team for whom he drove in nine races.

After school, he went on to Edinburgh University where he studied mechanical engineering and was one of the first to join the University Air Squadron. It was while he was there in 1940 that he came to know Hugh Langrishe, their shared interests in motor cycles, motor racing and aviation leading to them becoming firm friends.

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Louis Bionier and the Dyna Panhard

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‘Like in an airplane.. the Dyna will make you free from the harshness of the ground and its resonances’ is a free translation of the text in this Panhard publicity folder.

By Gijsbert-Paul Berk

From the VeloceToday Archives, March 2014

In Part 1 of his look at Panhard’s remarkable Louis Bionier, Gijsbert-Paul Berk described how Bionier designed the Panoramic and Dynamic Panhards in the 1930s. In Part 2, we learn how the post-war Dyna X was developed.

Was the Panhard Dyna an automotive cuckoo’s egg?

There are some mysteries concerning the origin of the postwar Panhard Dyna. Was it designed by Jean-Albert Grégoire (as some French experts claim on Wikipedia) or by the duo Louis Delagarde, Louis Bionier at Panhard & Levassor? The story of the gestation of this interesting car was extensively described in the review by Peter Vack of the book ‘Panhard, the flat twin cars 1945-1967’ by David Beare on VeloceToday of 8 August 2013 but if you want to refresh your memory we must take you back to the prewar years.

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100th Anniversary of Le Mans Goes to Ferrari

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What a way to go! And below is Vanhoolandt’s superb report on this epic Le Mans, class by class.

Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt

On June 10-11 2023, the 24 Hours of Le Mans celebrated their 100th anniversary this year (but it was the 91st edition). It was necessary that this unique edition be so celebrated and that indeed was the case.

Thanks to new regulation, the top category of prototypes, called Hypercar, witnessed the return of the major manufacturers who had deserted the Sarthe classic as the cars complying with the previous regulations were too expensive to design and develop.

This has allowed the return of brands that have marked the history of the race such as Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot and Porsche and the arrival next year of Alpine, BMW and Lamborghini. Toyota had remained faithful to the 24 hours during this transition period between the two regulations, which allowed it to impose itself over the last five years. It was one of the favorites this year and therefore had a lot to lose if it failed. This is what happened, the Japanese brand being the victim of the loss of a car early in the race following an accident, and also of a late change of equivalence between the different cars, the controversial ‘Balance of Performance’.

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Name that Car! Seavey Photo Art

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Talbot. 1955 Talbot Lago T26 GSL. 2014 Concorso car on the Plaza early one morning. I mentioned earlier about the recalcitrant pre-selector gearbox. This was the car in question. Only 19 of these were ever built, and this is the only one with a factory built 4.3 liter six, making 210 hp.

Photoart by Charley Seavey

In a few weeks we’ll feature early 1960s Grand Prix photos from the Seavey photo archives, but this week Charley shows more of his Santa Fe Concours photos from various years. You’ll see a Tubster, a rare in this country Maserati A6GCS/53, a car with no name and most impressive, an Isotta Fraschini Flying Star. Then there is the yellow TZ1 with a number reminiscent of the Bob Tullius race team. And see what happens when a lowrider lifts its skirts.
All here and more. Just enjoy.

Oh yes, the first reader to properly identify the car in the very last photo gets a free year’s subscription to VeloceToday. If you are already a subscriber, give it to a friend! Send your guess to vack@cox.net.

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South Australian Motorsport Series, 9-11 June

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#10 TRT Racing (China), Li Quang / Jonathan Cecotto

Story and photos by Vince Johnson

The entry list had an Italian and international flavour at round two of the SA Motorsport Series held earlier this month. Featured over the weekend was a full grid of twenty EVO2 Huracáns competing in the second round of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia. Held, appropriately, on the five-kilometre International Circuit at The Bend Motorsport Park, near Tailem Bend on the River Murray south-east of the state capital, this was the Trofeo teams’ first time racing in Australia. Local racer Keith Wong kept the South Australian connection strong, co-driving with Dr. Ma Chi Min in the Kam Lung Racing entry, car #83.

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