This interesting car was dropped off today, the first thing I would like to do is work out exactly what it is and who might have built it. It has a V5 and is registered as a HF Panhard. I know of a company called Hampe Freres that built at least one mid mounted Panhard based race car but this one looks nothing like that. The mid mounted engine is a Panhard 750cc S3 and it has the standard Panhard 4 speed gearbox. The 1" box section chassis is very well constructed with neat welds, the front suspension is dual wishbone with strengthening cross braces from the tops of the springs across to the other side of the chassis & welded in the middle, rear suspension is independent with coil-overs and a radius rod. The steering rack, we believe, is from a Triumph Herald but I don't recognise the drum brakes & wheels. It looks as thought the front and rear wings & windscreen were added later on, maybe when it went from being a race car to road registered. The body sides are actually air ducts feeding cooling air from the front to the cylinders. It's currently fitted with a SU HS4 carburettor with long intake pipes. One of the things that makes us think it's professionally built is the rather delightful and complex gear shift linkage that runs to the right of the engine and up to the top of the gearbox through a set of rods that are spring mounted to the frame with Thackery washers. As well as trying to answer these questions I am going to be getting it running and going through everything else to make fit for the street.
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