Panhard PL 17
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Image:Panhard PL17 1964 front.jpg Image:Panhard PL17 1964 rear.jpg
The Panhard PL17 was presented on June 29th 1959 as successor to the Dyna Z. Underneath it was more or less the same car, but with an even more streamlined and somewhat more stylish bodywork. The explanation given for the modelname was: PL for Panhard et Lavassor, and 17 as 5 (CV, fiscal horses)plus 6 (seats on two benches) plus 6 (litres per 100 kilometers, appr. 47 miles to the UK gallon). The 5 CV is correct, 6 seats if the people are not too big might work out. The fuel consumption usually is close if you go easy on the loud pedal. The car continued the engines of the Dyna Z, both 851 cc, the standard one with 42 hp SAE, the 'tigre' with 50 hp SAE. Engines stayed twin cylinder aircooled boxers, mounted at the gearbox at the rear and by the two exhausts at the front! From model year 1964 (July 1963) engines decreased in size to 848 cc, but performance went up to 50 hp, resp. 60 hp (SAE). The front wheels were driven through a four speed 'box with column shift with synchromesh on the upper three. The standard car weighed appr. 805 kg, the tigre 830. Light weight combined with good streamlining (Cw said to be 026!) gave top speeds of 130, resp. 145 km/h (80+ and 90+ mph). Suspension at the front by two transverse leafsprings, at the back by three torsion bars each side. A modern treat: it was possible to remove the back bench to enlarge the (considerable) luggage space (527 liters, over 18 cubic feet). This space was available from model 1964, when the spare wheel was moved from beneath the luggage space to under the bonnet, where it fitted around the airfilter, as the wheels have no center (that is formed by the finned aluminium brakedrums). Also with model 1964 the letters PL were dropped. In 1965 Citroën pulled the plug, and the 17 came to an end. The 24 carried the name for two years more. From then only military transport was made.fr:Panhard PL 17
