Having made a fortune in bicycles and pneumatic tires Adolphe Clément began building Clément and Gladiator cars in 1898. At a factory in Levallois, France he built 2 1/4hp rear-engine Clément voiturettes and a mechanical nightmare called Clément-Panhard!. The Clément-Panhard was designed by airship pioneer Commandant Krebs (a director of Panhard & Levassor company).

Listen to the sound of a Clément-Panhard being started

Commandant Krebs

The design was made under license in Scotland as the Stirling-Panhard or Clément-Stirling by Stirlings of Edinburgh.

More conventional cars were introduced in 1901. After Clément signed away the rights to the Clément marque in 1903, cars bearing his name were made by the new owners in Gladiator factory. He had to change his name to Clément-Bayard - the Chevalier Bayard was a medieval hero.

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how the Clément-Panhard was advertised 100 years ago

a look at the different body styles from 100 years ago

Body Styles

 a look at some of the engineering drawings of the car

Engineering Drawings

History of the Clément-Panhard

 

'Shaking Round Paris'
A film clip from Pathe of veteran cars opening the Paris Motor Show - A Clement Panhard is shown starting at the beginning of the clip

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Last Update:
July 2007

 

Visits Since December 2002

Clement Panhard on the Web