MEET THE OWNER - KIERON MAUGHAN AND HIS PANHARD 24

Sometimes, you have the unexpected pleasure of writing about a car so rare that you have only read about it. When Panhard launched the 24 on the 23rd June 1963, it marked their swansong as a car manufacturer, and Kieron Maughan owns one of a handful of RHD models.

Even by the standard of six decades ago, the 24 was an unconventional machine. For one, instead of monocoque construction, it employed a separate tubular steel chassis: The air-cooled flat twin 848cc engine drove the front wheels, and your local Panhard dealer would probably tell you that the high-performance Tigre version had power, cylinder-for-cylinder, on par with a Porsche 911. Meanwhile, the frontal treatment anticipated the Citroën DS facelift of 1967.

The 24 was also elaborately equipped with multi-adjustable front seats, a folding rear backrest to extend the luggage compartment and elaborate heating and demisting, including the side windows and rear screen. The specification also included red warning lamps on the doors, two-speed wipers, a clock, a rev counter and a lighter for the owner’s Gitane.

Panhard offered an RHD conversion in 1964, but Motor Sport complained:

The emphasis is very definitely on individuality but even extreme individualists, unless they are abnormally wealthy, may regret that in England this good-looking, unconventional fwd Panhard-Levassor costs £1,329 14s. 7d, of which purchase tax accounts for nearly £230.

At such a price, the 24 was far more costly than an MGB and unlikely to appeal to more than a niche market. There were few customers for the Panhard Division of Citroën Cars Ltd., and Autocar found the price “too high in this country for what the car is – and does”. They did, however, conclude:

Obviously the 24CT is for the confirmed nonconformist who appreciates an intriguingly non-conformist mechanism together with those first-class handling qualities that contribute so much to the enjoyment of motoring, and who had an eye for an elegant style.

Intriguingly, both Motor Sport and Autocar remarked that while the cabin featured a copious amount of padding, it lacked seat belt anchorages.

Production of the 24CT coupe ended on the 20^th July 1967, marking the end of passenger cars bearing the famous name that dated back to 1890. On the 6^th April 1955, Citroën acquired a 25 per cent share in the firm, which gained them much-needed extra production capacity. Ten years later, Panhard was now part of the Citroën empire, and they used an elongated 24 as a test bed for the SM.

As for Keiron’s Panhard, it is a car that few members of the public will ever say “My dad had one of those”. Indeed, when encountering the 24, they will probably be too mesmerised to speak.

With Thanks To: Kieron Maughan of https://www.rockstarscars.co.uk/