Panhard Dyna X History

The Dyna X was born from practical necessity and national policy. Panhard acquired the rights to an all-aluminum lightweight car designed by engineer Jean Albert Grégoire — the AFG Dyna, first shown at the 1946 Paris Motor Show — partly because the French government was keen to stimulate the strategically important aluminium industry after the war. The result was the first mass-produced car in the world with an all-aluminum body, a distinction no other manufacturer matched at volume.

Power came from a 610 cc air-cooled flat-twin engine mounted at the front, producing 24 hp at launch and rising to 28 hp by 1949. Despite the tiny engine, the aluminum bodywork kept the Dyna X light enough for a top speed around 110 km/h (68 mph) — strong performance for the displacement. A four-door saloon was the mainstay, joined by a cabriolet and commercial variants.

By the time the Dyna X was replaced by the Dyna Z in 1954, approximately 47,049 units had been built, including 33,093 four-door saloons. The car established the template — lightweight aluminum construction, air-cooled flat-twin, economy focus — that Panhard would refine through its entire postwar life.