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26
1955 PANHARD PICHON-PARAT DOLOMITES
The item was sold for 66 000 €
Fees include commission and taxes.
1955 PANHARD PICHON-PARAT DOLOMITES
Interesting track record
Eligible for Mille Miglia and Tour Auto
High performance mechanics
French registration
Chassis number: 857 918
In 1952, two long-time friends, Bernard Pichon and André Parat, joined forces to create a bodywork company in Sens, in the Yonne region. The first was gifted at designing cars, and the second, a boilermaker by training, at bringing them to life. The post-war period is not necessarily oriented towards leisure, and the young bodybuilders start by modifying big American saloon cars into commercial vehicles, for which there is a strong demand. In 1951, they had the luxury of taking a stand at the Paris Motor Show, to exhibit a re-bodied Ford Vedette and a very elegant coupé based on a Renault 4 CV. Until the middle of the 1950s, they transformed nearly 300 Ford Vedettes into station wagons, coupes, modified saloons or convertibles. After an astonishing Renault Frégate cabriolet, our two friends set their sights on the powerful and well thought-out Panhard Dyna Junior roadsters, which they modified into saloon cars by adding a hard top. Bluffed by the agility of the productions of the oldest French manufacturer, they decided to create a berlinette, the design of which was this time entirely signed by Bernard Pichon, who was also very interested in motor racing. In the spring of 1953, the first Dolomites (510 kg on the scale!) left the workshops in the rue Mocquesouris. The car was built in two versions, the first with a two-part windscreen, flat and V-shaped, and the second with a "panoramic" windscreen. The Dolomites, probably built in about fifteen units, will be a delight for amateur drivers in competition, with some class victories, in 750 or 850 cm3 category, depending on the Panhard engine size. Only one was built on a D.B. chassis, the others being built on Dyna X or Junior platforms, either new or second-hand. The Sens coachbuilders then produced two sublime Salmson 2300 S berlinettes, an astonishing 4CV based butterfly door berlinette (the famous Izoard), Panhard PL 17 based station wagons or Talbot T26 barquettes which raced in the Le Mans 24 Hours. They also worked for a long time with the American designer Raymond Loewy (of French origin), who appreciated their speed of execution and the simplicity of their methods, for very crazy wall projects. And it was André Parat who, in 1968, transformed the very long Jaguar Type E in the film Le petit baigneur with Louis de Funès
The Dolomites that illustrates these pages was invoiced by Pichon and Parat on November 30, 1955 and received at the Mines on December 15, its registration card indicating "X 87 MODIFIED 2-seater" and Interior Driving. The car then headed for Montpellier, and was registered in the Hérault region on 16 December in the name of Antoine Tortarolo, a "transport contractor", but above all an amateur driver who would later drive a D.B HBR5 coach, an Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti and even a GTA. On January 16, 1956, Tortarolo started the Monte Carlo from Lisbon, Portugal in a Panhard Dyna X with the number 131. Because of his premature retirement, there are no photographs of the crew, nor do the records of the Automobile Club de Monaco indicate the chassis number of the car. Nevertheless, it is very likely that Dolomites # 857 918 took part in the famous rally. On March 17, 1956, Tortarolo and his co-driver, Petiot, finished 12th overall and won their class at the famous Lyon Charbonnière rally. The Dolomites, with the race number 51, was honoured by the press: Action Automobile et Touristique published a photo of the car and praised the merits of the crew "who beat a large number of quality competitors". On July 29, Tortarolo won his class again with the Dolomites in the highly competitive Mont Ventoux hill climb. A month and a half later, on September 17, Tortarolo and Petiot were back in Nice with the Dolomites at the start of the Tour de France Automobile. The Dolomites number 129 shines during the first two special stages (16th scratch time on the Ventoux, and 22nd time on the Comminges circuit) before giving up on the Peyresourde hill climb. The 1956 edition was the hardest and the one with the best record in the history of the event. In 1957, Tortarolo sold the Dolomites to buy the famous D.B HBR5. The car will have two owners in the Herault until 1961, when it changes hands again. It left for the Gard region and was lost until the mid-1970s when it was bought by an enlightened enthusiast who kept it for a long time.
Interesting track record
Eligible for Mille Miglia and Tour Auto
High performance mechanics
French registration
Chassis number: 857 918
In 1952, two long-time friends, Bernard Pichon and André Parat, joined forces to create a bodywork company in Sens, in the Yonne region. The first was gifted at designing cars, and the second, a boilermaker by training, at bringing them to life. The post-war period is not necessarily oriented towards leisure, and the young bodybuilders start by modifying big American saloon cars into commercial vehicles, for which there is a strong demand. In 1951, they had the luxury of taking a stand at the Paris Motor Show, to exhibit a re-bodied Ford Vedette and a very elegant coupé based on a Renault 4 CV. Until the middle of the 1950s, they transformed nearly 300 Ford Vedettes into station wagons, coupes, modified saloons or convertibles. After an astonishing Renault Frégate cabriolet, our two friends set their sights on the powerful and well thought-out Panhard Dyna Junior roadsters, which they modified into saloon cars by adding a hard top. Bluffed by the agility of the productions of the oldest French manufacturer, they decided to create a berlinette, the design of which was this time entirely signed by Bernard Pichon, who was also very interested in motor racing. In the spring of 1953, the first Dolomites (510 kg on the scale!) left the workshops in the rue Mocquesouris. The car was built in two versions, the first with a two-part windscreen, flat and V-shaped, and the second with a "panoramic" windscreen. The Dolomites, probably built in about fifteen units, will be a delight for amateur drivers in competition, with some class victories, in 750 or 850 cm3 category, depending on the Panhard engine size. Only one was built on a D.B. chassis, the others being built on Dyna X or Junior platforms, either new or second-hand. The Sens coachbuilders then produced two sublime Salmson 2300 S berlinettes, an astonishing 4CV based butterfly door berlinette (the famous Izoard), Panhard PL 17 based station wagons or Talbot T26 barquettes which raced in the Le Mans 24 Hours. They also worked for a long time with the American designer Raymond Loewy (of French origin), who appreciated their speed of execution and the simplicity of their methods, for very crazy wall projects. And it was André Parat who, in 1968, transformed the very long Jaguar Type E in the film Le petit baigneur with Louis de Funès
The Dolomites that illustrates these pages was invoiced by Pichon and Parat on November 30, 1955 and received at the Mines on December 15, its registration card indicating "X 87 MODIFIED 2-seater" and Interior Driving. The car then headed for Montpellier, and was registered in the Hérault region on 16 December in the name of Antoine Tortarolo, a "transport contractor", but above all an amateur driver who would later drive a D.B HBR5 coach, an Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti and even a GTA. On January 16, 1956, Tortarolo started the Monte Carlo from Lisbon, Portugal in a Panhard Dyna X with the number 131. Because of his premature retirement, there are no photographs of the crew, nor do the records of the Automobile Club de Monaco indicate the chassis number of the car. Nevertheless, it is very likely that Dolomites # 857 918 took part in the famous rally. On March 17, 1956, Tortarolo and his co-driver, Petiot, finished 12th overall and won their class at the famous Lyon Charbonnière rally. The Dolomites, with the race number 51, was honoured by the press: Action Automobile et Touristique published a photo of the car and praised the merits of the crew "who beat a large number of quality competitors". On July 29, Tortarolo won his class again with the Dolomites in the highly competitive Mont Ventoux hill climb. A month and a half later, on September 17, Tortarolo and Petiot were back in Nice with the Dolomites at the start of the Tour de France Automobile. The Dolomites number 129 shines during the first two special stages (16th scratch time on the Ventoux, and 22nd time on the Comminges circuit) before giving up on the Peyresourde hill climb. The 1956 edition was the hardest and the one with the best record in the history of the event. In 1957, Tortarolo sold the Dolomites to buy the famous D.B HBR5. The car will have two owners in the Herault until 1961, when it changes hands again. It left for the Gard region and was lost until the mid-1970s when it was bought by an enlightened enthusiast who kept it for a long time.