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Page 8 Remember – You saw it first in the Globe! 15 August 2012
1910 PANHARD ET LEVASSOR 12/15HP x5
‘W & G’ DUCROS LONDON TAXICAB
by Graham Waite
It was my pleasure to attend the recent Richard Edmonds auction
held at auction on Castle Coombe racing circuit on 30th June
and to successfully bid and purchase this lovely old Panhard
et Levassor taxi on behalf of London Vintage Taxi Association
member Gordon Elliott. The most numerous makes of London
cab post-1906 were the French Unic, introduced by dealers Mann
and Overton plus the Napier and Panhard taxicabs, both of which
were operated by taxi fleet owners W & G duCros of Acton, West
London. Only a small handful of very early taxis still survive,
mainly of the Unic and Beardmore variety and it is believed that
this is one of only 2 Panhard et Levassor taxis which still survive.
W&G duCros were commercial body builders who made bodies for many coaches,
buses and a variety of heavy goods vehicles. Around 1910 with the ever increasing
number of motorised taxicabs coming onto the market, they decided to run a large fleet
of no less than 500 taxis. Most cabs were purchased in chassis form with W&G duCros
building the taxi bodies onto the supplied chassis’s, this particular cab although made
by Panhard was purpose built on the Napier 15hp chassis with Panhard engine and
mechanicals. All W&G duCros drivers were required to wear a uniform consisting of
a white waterproof rain coat, brown leather gauntlets and a white flat-top cap. Their
trademark, the W&G logo was on the rear doors of all their taxis as well as their name
on the radiator grill. There are period photographs depicting long rows of W&G cabs
but these were mainly Napier cabs.
Panhard’s started early in 1889 and remained in business until 1967 and they are
one of the greatest names in motoring history. Panhard’s were successful in the early
racing world using large 15.4 litre engined cars. This Panhard Taxi is a rare survivor
of pre WWI motoring, particularly in such sound original condition. The taxi was
128 Three Colts Lane, London, E2 6JN
THINKING OF GOING PART-TIME?
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Panhard showroom, Lower Regent Street
sold new in England and first registered on July 10th July 1910.
In total 1,415 type X5 Panhard’s were made between the end of
1909 and the very beginning of 1912. From this total some 674
were sent to England, most of which are supposed to have been
sold as taxis. Although this taxi was owned and run by W&G
duCros it is believed that Panhard’s were generally purchased
by owner drivers because they were more expensive than other
manufacturers at the time (comparable with the cost of a semidetached
house at the time). The early history of the Panhard
is vague although it is believed that it was used on the streets
of London until around 1921. Then until the early fifties not much is known of its
whereabouts or use.
A firm of motor dealers bought the Taxi in the early 1950’s from a Birkenhead car
collector, and they set about restoring the car, with a view to hiring the car out for
various publicity events and film work. Indeed it appeared in the 1950’s film, ‘The
Man Who Loved Redheads’, starring Moira Shearer. Then in 1958 it was purchased
from a Mr G.W. Thompson, of Barnsley, by a relative of the previous owner, the Rev.
Martin Atkinson, who was a founder member of the Historic Commercial Vehicle
Club, with Lord Montague of Beaulieu. Accounts indicate that the Rev Atkinson had
first seen the car in 1944, and had tried to buy it. Every two years he went back in an
attempt to buy the taxi, but the answer was always the same. In 1952, he found that
the owner had died, but the cab had gone. Enquiries all over England were made but it
was pure chance that he encountered the cab in the back streets of Liverpool, waiting
to be shipped out to America.
There are numerous copies of
newspaper articles about the cab, mostly
relating to the 1950’s, and copies of
photographs of it, taking part in novelty
driving tests including a ‘rocking-ramp’
at Birkenhead road courtesy rally. There
are a few photographs of the Panhard
outside the London General Cab Co.
Ltd, alongside the then more modern
early 1950’s Austin FX3 cabs. The cab
Panhard at London General Cab Co with FX3s
is also featured in a piece of Pathe News
footage. In October 1958 the Panhard was used to collect the President of the Yellow
Cab Company, Mr Lansing Rothschild from Claridges Hotel in Mayfair and take him
down to meet Mr John Houghton head of the London Cab Company in Brixton Road
(there is a photograph of him entering the taxi).
It retains its original registration number of H 6460. Its chassis no. is 20370
and engine no. 21103. It is shown as a four cylinder 12/15 horse power. It has 3
speed gearbox with a quadrant change and leather coned clutch. In the passenger
compartment the hood opens for summer use and there is a small indicator which
the passenger can turn to indicate to the driver which direction they want him to
take (lucky we haven’t got those nowadays!). The lamps are all the original brass oil
burning type. The meter is an early Halda which is still working but believed not to
be the original.
The Panhard survives in basically sound condition. The wooden wheels are solid
and have layers upon layers of cream paint on them, this has probably protected
them and prevented wood worm from attacking them over the years. The rear seat
is in black leather and shows signs of various neat stitching repairs over the years.
The brass wheel centre caps have the cabs
registration number engraved upon them. Signs
indicate that the engine was rebuilt some years
ago and whilst the cab is driveable it will need
some work to re-commission it for general use.
The cab will shortly be available for charity
and other appearances, if you require more
information please contact Graham Waite by
email at oldlondontaxis@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.taxiglobe.info – To advertise in the most independent newspaper – Telephone – 01778 391189 Editorial – 01707 885439