Engine No. 6042
At the dawn of the 20th century, the Automobile Club de France proposed the idea of a race from Paris to Madrid. In December 1902, His Majesty Alfonso XIII, King of Spain, granted authorization for the race, scheduled for 24 May 1903, to traverse Spanish roads, inspiring Spanish enthusiasts to establish the Real Automóvil Club de España, commonly known as RACE.
Among its founding members were the Marqués de Ivanrey and his friend de la Torrecila, who were driven by a shared passion. This enthusiasm led Soriano, on 26 January 1903, to acquire the Panhard & Levassor KB Roadster, engine no. 6042. A photocopy of the factory's account register, included in the file, reveals that a complete chassis of a lightweight automobile powered by a 15 CV four-cylinder petrol engine no. 6042, with a KB four-speed transmission, together with its usual accessories, was invoiced-after 400 francs for body assembly and testing were waived, and a 10-percent discount was applied-at 17,640 Francs, a truly substantial sum for the time.
Another register indicates that the car was sold at the Palais de l'Auto to de la Torrecila, who likely received it on behalf of Ricardo Soriano, Marqués de Ivanrey. Soriano is listed in the RACE records as the “Viajero,” or driver, of the car on 3 April 1904. Soriano would later found a factory producing high-performance outboard motors and other engines. It is said that this factory housed the car, which was nicknamed La Perla at the time, until 1945. That year, it was transferred to the Lewin Collection, where it remained, still in Madrid, until 1975, when Ramón Magriñà, presumably its third owner, acquired and restored it. The restoration included new paintwork and upholstery, the addition of a non-standard carburetor and magneto, and provision for an electric starter. Its engine was overhauled twenty years later, in 1995. The car then passed into the hands of a Dutch owner in 2006, from whom the ownership history is reported, before being acquired in 2019 by its current owner in Belgium.
Equipped with a Centaure engine, which marked Panhard & Levassor's entry into the modern era, this Panhard & Levassor KB Roadster, engine no. 6042, produced at the end of 1902 and sold in 1903, allows participation in the famous and equally festive London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, which it has done on several occasions since the 1980s, departing from Hyde Park on the first Sunday of November, while celebrating this year the brand's 135th anniversary.
Temporary Import: This lot is in Italy on a temporary import bond, which must be discharged by the Buyer either by directly re-exporting the Lot or by paying the relevant customs duty, import VAT and other applicable fees to permanently import the Lot into Italy or another European Union country as permitted. Any Lot subject to temporary import restrictions cannot be released from Broad Arrow's custody without the completion of these procedures. Customs charges will be assessed based on the Lot's value and according to the circumstances of each sale and may be payable by the Buyer either to Broad Arrow and/or directly to the relevant tax authority.
Documents: UK V5C
- Fuel
- Body Types
- Transmission
- Exterior Colour
- Number of doors
- Interior Colour
- VIN Code6042
