PL17
The model was produced between 1959 and 1965. It was a time when most French people drove around in cars such as Renault 4CV, Dauphine, Simca Ariane and Volkswagen 1200, to name a few. Panhard stood in a class of its own. It was registered for 6 people and visually compared to the Peugeot 403, Citroen ID/DS or Simca Vedette.
Not quite like other cars
The entire body is in aluminium. Bumpers and trim strips look like matt chrome. But it's not chrome – it's untreated aluminium(!). To get to the engine compartment, you open the entire front, which consists of a single piece of aluminum. The interior is stylish and oozes comfort. Relmax S has genuine leather seats similar to those in the Citroen DS. The design of the dashboard and door sides is not only stylish and French, they also give a good sense of space.
Special engines
This is perhaps where the particularly French comes into play. When you lift up the front of the car, a front shield comes into view. No radiator. Unfortunately, I don't have any good pictures of this, but if you study the engine more closely, you will see that it is an air-cooled, two-cylinder engine with the cylinders lying flat against each other - much like in the Citroen 2CV. The engine appears to be rather "pingy" for such a large car! A sound image such as a creaking - or clattering 2CV, rather does not fit in a car like this. And where does the air come in? None of the PL17 models have any visible grill in the front.
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