Silent Futurism - In the long conversation between engineering ambition and automotive art, some cars speak softly yet leave a lasting echo. The mid-1950s were a restless period for European carmakers, filled with experimentation around lightness, aerodynamics, and new materials. Out of that spirit emerged a little-known but fascinating machine:
the Panhard Paturi Panthère, a car that quietly challenged conventions and hinted at futures that the industry would only fully embrace decades later.
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| The 1955 Panhard Paturi Panthère 610 commissioned by Panhard and constructed by Paturi Technische Industrie NV in Breda, the Netherlands. (Picture from: MrScharroo'sWeirdCarMuseum in Flickr) |
The Panhard Paturi Panthère was conceived in 1955 as an unconventional sports car built on the Panhard Dyna X platform,
specifically the X87 Junior chassis. Its most striking feature was its body, crafted entirely from polyester reinforced with fiberglass—an advanced choice at a time when steel and aluminum still dominated automotive construction.
Designed by aeronautical engineer Riffard, the body took clear inspiration from aircraft design, with flowing surfaces shaped like the cross-section of an airplane wing. This focus on aerodynamics was not aesthetic alone; it directly influenced performance and efficiency, reinforcing
Panhard’s long-standing philosophy of doing more with less.
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| The 1955 Panhard Paturi Panthère 610 appeared futuristic without excess, defined by a smooth, compact, purposeful body and a removable hardtop that subtly refined its character and aerodynamics. (Picture from: ClassicAndRecreationSportsCars World in Facebook) |
Visually,
the Panthère felt futuristic without being theatrical.
The exterior was smooth,
compact,
and purposeful,
free from unnecessary ornamentation.
A removable hardtop allowed the car to shift between open and closed configurations, subtly changing both its character and its aerodynamic efficiency.
Inside,
the cabin followed the same rational mindset.
As a two-seater,
it was intimate and functional,
prioritizing lightness and clarity over luxury. The layout reflected its engineering roots, with straightforward controls and a driving position designed to complement the car’s low weight and balanced proportions rather than distract from them.
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| The 1955 Panhard Paturi Panthère 610 was powered by a front-mounted, air-cooled 610 cc twin-cylinder boxer engine producing around 24–28 horsepower, paired with a four-speed manual gearbox and column shift that prioritized efficiency over raw power. (Picture from: ClassicAndRecreationSportsCars World in Facebook) |
Under the skin,
the Panthère remained closely tied to Panhard’s mechanical identity.
Power came from a front-mounted,
air-cooled,
twin-cylinder boxer engine with a displacement of 610 cc,
producing around 24 to 28 horsepower depending on specification.
Paired with a four-speed manual gearbox and column-mounted shift, the setup emphasized efficiency rather than brute force.
Thanks to its fiberglass body,
the car weighed roughly 670 kilograms.
In open form,
it could reach around 140 km/h,
while fitting the hardtop improved airflow enough to push top speed closer to 160 km/h—impressive figures for such a modestly powered car in its era.
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| The 1955 Panhard Paturi Panthère 610 is depicted here in a vintage promotional illustration that captures its aircraft-inspired silhouette and celebrates its radical plastic body as a vision of the automobile of the future. (Picture from: MicroCarWorld in Facebook) |
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What ultimately defines the Panhard Paturi Panthère is not just its technical daring, but its near-mythical status. Only three examples were ever built, commissioned by Panhard and constructed by Paturi Technische Industrie NV in Breda, the Netherlands. After being shipped to France, the trail of these cars effectively disappeared, leaving behind more questions than answers. Today, the Panthère stands as a rare chapter in automotive history, a reminder that innovation often happens quietly, on the margins, and sometimes vanishes before the world is ready to notice. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CLASSIC AND RECREATION SPORTS CARS IN FACEBOOK | MICROCAR WORLD IN FACEBOOK | WORLD CARS FROM THE 1930S TO 1980S IN FACEBOOK | RETRO AMICALE EDELWEISS IN FACEBOOK | MRSCHARROO'S WEIRD CAR MUSEUM IN FLICKR ]
