Panhard & Levassor Omnibus 1897

The Panhard et Levassor Omnibus of 1897 was an early petrol-engined bus that the French maker entered, with starting number 10, in the heavy-vehicle trials held at Versailles in 1897. It could carry 14 passengers, 10 inside, two on the seat beside the driver and two on the platform, and sold for about 18,000 francs. Two combined two-cylinder Daimler Phoenix engines gave a four-cylinder unit of 3,435 cc, with a bore of 90 mm and a stroke of 135 mm, and a 50 litre fuel tank. The empty weight ready for use was 2,400 kg and the permitted total weight 3,400 kg. Four gears gave speeds of 4, 7, 11 and 18 km/h, and the maximum was 16 to 18 km/h. The front wheels measured 800 mm and the rear wheels 1,020 mm in diameter.