Panhard Dynamic History

Introduced at the 1936 Paris Motor Show, the Panhard et Levassor Dynamic was one of the most visually radical cars of the pre-war era. Designed by Louis Bionier, its voluptuous monocoque body featured a wide center-mounted windshield, a driver's seat on the centerline flanked by two passenger bench seats, and deeply curved teardrop bodywork intended to minimize aerodynamic drag long before the concept was mainstream.

Two variants were offered: the Dynamic 130 used a 2,516 cc six-cylinder sleeve-valve engine, while the more popular Dynamic 140 displaced 3,485 cc and produced around 75 hp. Sleeve valves — in which sliding cylindrical sleeves replace poppet valves — had been Panhard's engineering signature since 1924; the Dynamic was the last production car in the world to use the technology, production ending when German occupation halted the factory in 1940.

Approximately 2,230 Dynamic 140s and fewer Dynamic 130s were built across the five-year run. Survivors are highly prized by collectors; the Dynamic is regularly cited as one of the most beautiful pre-war designs in any country.