Presented in excellent condition, the early Panhard et Levassor offered here retains its original tonneau body by Henri Labourdette of Paris, one of the oldest of French coachbuilders with a reputation for quality second to none.

Established as a carriage maker in 1858, Labourdette built its first motor car bodies in 1899/1900 on Panhard et Levassor chassis and remained in the front rank of European coachbuilders until WW2.

This particular car is powered by a 1,650cc twin-cylinder engine rated at 7hp, which drives via a three-speed gearbox and chain final transmission.

Particularly worthy of note is the magneto ignition, an advanced feature specified by the original owner in preference to the standard hot-tube ignition, which is recorded on the surviving factory build sheet.

Other noteworthy features include a single Ducellier headlight, a pair of Neverout sidelights, bulb horn and a brass luggage rack, the latter mounted on the roof.

The provision of an electric starter is the on...