Formerly the property of the late John Bolster
1902 Panhard et Levassor 7hp Twin-cylinder Rear-entrance Tonneau

• Purchased new in France by the Hon C S Rolls
• Bodied at Rolls' works at Lillie Hall
• Known ownership history
• One of the most prolific of London-Brighton Run participants
• Present ownership since circa 2003/2004

René Panhard was a qualified engineer whose business, based in Paris, made woodworking tools and built Deutz engines under license. With his partner, Émile Levassor, he experimented with horseless carriages using engines licensed from Daimler. In 1891, Panhard et Levassor offered for sale what was arguably the world's first production car, using a built-under-license Daimler engine. Both Daimler and Benz had made automobiles before Panhard, but these had been individual 'prototypes' rather than models intended for series production. Above all, the firm was responsible for bequeathing the automobile world the Système Panhard, which embodied the now familiar layout of a front-mounted engine driving the rear axle via a clutch, gearbox and differential. The modern motor car had been born.

After Emile Levassor's death in 1897, René Panhard re-organised his company as a joint stock corporation to attract wealthy investors, while Commandant Arthur Constantin Krebs succeeded Levassor as technical and production manager. Krebs began work by designing a series of four-cylinder engines with nominal power outputs ranging from 8CV to 20CV. His Paris-Amsterdam racer of 1898 featured a tilted (as opposed to vertical) steering column and this innovation was soon carried over to the production cars. Racing developments continued to influence the production Panhards, which soon featured front-mounted radiators, first seen on the Paris-Bordeaux racer of 1899. Battery/coil ignition and Krebs' own diaphragm carburettor were features of Panhard et Levassor engines by the end of 1901, and during that year he introduced the first power units, known as the Centaure family, to depart from the original Daimler design.

Krebs pressed ahead with developing his new Centaure engines, and in 1902 adopted individual cylinders instead of the previous cast-in-pairs arrangement. A five-bearing crankshaft and three valves per cylinder were advanced features of the Centaure Leger (Lightweight) unit. The Centaure range soon expanded to incorporate three-cylinder engines alongside the existing parallel twins and fours, an early example of modular construction. For 1903 Krebs introduced the Centaure S family of T-head fours with magneto ignition, which ranged in size from a 2.4-litre 10CV up to a 5.3-litre 23CV.

Panhard et Levassor swiftly established a reputation for fine engineering, excellent craftsmanship, superior reliability and outstanding performance, qualities that placed the company at the forefront in early motor sport, notably the great Continental city-to-city races of the time. Little wonder therefore that such notables and sportsmen as the Hon C S Rolls, René de Knyff, Maurice Farman, Léon Girardot and Fernand Charron were associated so closely with the marque. As early as 1898 Charron had driven a Panhard et Levassor to victory in the Paris-Bordeaux race, covering the course at an average speed of 26.9mph, while in 1899 Girardot's 12hp car covered the 201 miles of the Ostend-Paris race to win at an average speed of 32.5mph. Significantly, it was with a Panhard et Levassor that Charles Rolls chose to commence his competitive career, driving one of the French manufacturer's cars on the 1,000 Miles Trial of 1900.

The Centaure-engined Panhard et Levassor offered here was purchased in France by the Hon C S Rolls during 1903 and shipped to England. The body was constructed in Rolls' works at Lillie Hall, Fulham - one of the UK's first motor dealerships - and carries a body plate confirming that fact. After a few months use by Rolls, the Panhard was sold to one St John Willey, who used it regularly until early 1905. When registration numbers were introduced, this car was allotted the mark 'O 39'. The Panhard was then sold to a Mr J Hughes, who finally withdrew it from service during 1907. The car remained in Hughes' coach house until 1919 when it was pushed out into the garden and left under a tree. The Panhard was rediscovered in 1932 and the list of owners from then onwards is held in the Veteran Car Club's records.

The car's rescuers were none other than the distinguished racing driver, motoring writer and broadcasting commentator, the late John Bolster, his brother John and a friend. It was decided to restore the Panhard in time for the 1934 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run; amazingly, the trio achieved their goal in just nine days! Despite the problems inevitably associated with undertaking the Run with what was an untried and untested car, the Bolsters completed the event within the allotted time. A copy of John's magazine article recounting the 1934 event - Forty Four Years of Brighton Runs – is on file.

The Bolster brothers participated in four more London-Brighton Runs before the outbreak of WW2, which would claim the life of RAF-pilot Richard, who was shot down over Bremen in June 1941, aged 29. In September 1945, one H C Hocombe (presumably the aforementioned friend of the Bolsters) registered the Panhard, at that time carrying the registration 'JH 9707', with the Veteran Car Club of Great Britain (copy form on file). Presumably having assumed sole ownership, John Bolster would go on to take part in the London to Brighton Run every year from 1946 to 1983 driving this car, which came to be known as 'The Bolster Panhard'.

Following John's death on 13th January 1984 (aged 73) his wife entered the car on the next three London to Brighton Runs (1984 to 1986 inclusively). The Panhard's regular participation in the Run would continue with the next two custodians, and with the late owner since he acquired the car circa 2003/2004. A well respected and highly experienced Veteran-car enthusiast, the late owner carried out much of the work required to keep the Panhard running himself and with the assistance of friends. One of the most prolific and reliable of London-Brighton Run participants, 'The Bolster Panhard' is offered with assorted correspondence, a VCC Certificate of Date, and a V5C Registration Certificate.