Panhard in Bremen: Special show for pioneering car brand


1906 Panhard-Levassor Coupe Type U1

1906 Panhard-Levassor Coupe Type U1

1948 Panhard-Levassor Dynavia

1948 Panhard-Levassor Dynavia

1956 Panhard Monopole

1956 Panhard Monopole

1952 Gordini Type 20S / copyright Automuseum Melle

1952 Gordini Type 20S / copyright Automuseum Melle

1902 Schacht / copyright Automuseum Melle

1902 Schacht / copyright Automuseum Melle

 

The Bremen Classic Motorshow 2008 is an event for young and old in the broadest sense - veterans like the De Dion-Bouton that was built in 1903 and belongs to the “brass age automobiles” will be on show, as will rare OSCA Maseratis from the 50s and 60s… but also young classic cars like the 1973 Japanese works racing car Toyota Celica or the 1978 Mitsubishi Lancer. These will be real eye-catchers at the sixth classic car show which will take place in Bremen from 1 to 3 February 2008. At the special shows in the Bremen Exhibition Centre everything will revolve around France. In the automotive sector the focus will be on the brand Panhard & Levassor, one of the oldest car factories in the world.

'Panhard's are currently offered on Anamera

» 1928 Panhard et Levassor 20 CV Sport

» 1922 Panhard et Levassor X 36

» 1964 CD Panhard LM64 prototype Race Car Le Mans 1964

In the AWD Dome there will be a cross-section of French motorcycle history with racing and serial machines. And Hall 7 will present Grand Prix and road racing cars plus an interesting selection of Gordini automobiles. The organisers are expecting 600 exhibitors and 34,000 visitors from 15 countries.

“Very young” best describes the anticipated mood at the classic vehicle training workshop. A large area has been set aside for restoration, repair and refurbishment work. The training initiative YOURMOVE, the Association of Engine Restorers (Verband der Motoreninstandsetzungsbetriebe), and the Classic Engine School (Klassiker Motorenschule) invite visitors to not only watch but also participate actively in Hall 6. The school project “Porsche Junior” also targets young people: here old tractors of the Porsche brand will be restored to factory new condition in the context of a school project.

In contrast, “very old” is the right attribute for the exhibits which the Melle Car Museum will be taking to Bremen: “brass age“ vehicles like the De Dion-Bouton “La populaire“, type Q, which was conceived as the world’s first “car for the masses”. With this model, De Dion-Bouton became the biggest car producing factory in the world during the pioneer years. The Detroit Electric is a typical town vehicle of the early years, and the “Schacht“ was probably the first ”land-rover“ in the world. It was built to meet the requirements of American farmers at a time when there were still no roads.

“Very fast” characterises the cars that Amédée Gordini sent to the race track in Le Mans. France’s legendary engine tuner, also called the “sorcerer”, breathed Grand Prix performance into regular engines - a feat no one believed possible. The Musée National de l'Automobile in Mulhouse/ France will present Grand Prix and road racing cars of the Gordini brand in Hall 7. Exhibits will include a type 16 Grand Prix from 1954, a single seater type 32 from 1956 and the Gordini 26 S, the car driven by the famous French authoress Françoise Sagan.

And finally, “very varied” sums up the overall range of vehicles awaiting visitors to the Bremen Classic Motorshow: from the private vehicle mart in the multi-storey car park and the high-quality classic cars on offer from traders in Hall 5, to the big autojumble in Halls 2, 3 and 4, the original club presentations, and the spectacular special shows in the automotive, motorcycle and historic motorsports sections, plus tractors, lorries and boats - the range of vehicle types could hardly offer more variety.

The display of French motorcycles which will be presented at the Bremen show is the result of a strong partnership. Support here comes from the Association of Veteran Vehicles VFV (Veteranen Fahrzeug Verband), a private collector from France, and the Saarland Two-Wheeler Museum (Saarländisches Zweiradmuseum) culminating in the display of about 30 masterpieces such as a 250 MGC racing motorcycle from 1934 with a JAP OHV engine, (an example of which has already been displayed in the Guggenheim Museum in Los Angeles!), and a 500 Koehler Escoffier from 1925. These will be real highlights for all fans of two-wheeler history.