This Forgotten Panhard 24 CT Had Been Hidden Away In A London Garage For Decades

We are used to being contacted about unusual classics, but this one stopped us in our tracks.

Back in May, we were sent a single photo of a car that had been standing in a London garage for a very long time. Even from that first image, it was clear this was not going to be an everyday find.

It was a Panhard 24 CT.

That is not a name many people in the UK will come across often, but among those who appreciate unusual engineering, French design and genuinely left-field classics, the Panhard 24 CT is a fascinating machine.

A Rare French Coupe With Real Character

The Panhard 24 was one of the last cars to wear the Panhard name, and the 24 CT was the short-wheelbase coupe version.

It is a car that looks unlike almost anything else from the 1960s. Low, elegant, aerodynamic and slightly futuristic, it has a style that sits somewhere between French art-house cinema and serious engineering experiment.

Underneath that distinctive bodywork, the 24 CT used Panhard’s front-mounted, air-cooled flat-twin engine and front-wheel drive layout. It was not a conventional car when new, and it certainly is not conventional now.

That is exactly why we were interested.

Bought Unseen

Getting information about the car was not easy.

It had slipped off the DVLA system and had belonged to the vendor’s father. The vendor was lovely, very helpful and keen that the car should at least stand a chance of being saved, but understandably did not know too much about its history.

So we made a decision.

We bought it unseen.

That might sound brave, foolish, or both, but this is what UK Barn Finds is about. We want to save as many interesting old vehicles as we can, especially when something unusual has been quietly disappearing from view for years.

A Panhard 24 CT in a London garage was never going to be something we could easily ignore.

Extracting It Was Not Straightforward

Once a price had been agreed, we asked our trusted friend Neil Gaskins of NG Vehicle Logistics to collect it.

It was not a simple collection.

All four wheels were seized, there was no key, and a bit of gardening was required before the car could even leave its hiding place. A key may now be on its way by post, as one was apparently found afterwards, but at the time Neil had to deal with the car exactly as it sat.

Thankfully, Neil enjoys a challenge.

He did a fantastic job, and most of the recovery photos you see here were taken by him while getting the Panhard out and loaded.

Decades Of Dust, Seized Wheels And One Nasty Surprise

We have not had a proper look around the car yet, but even a quick glance shows just how long it has been standing.

The body is heavily marked, the front end has suffered, the trim is tired, and the interior is exactly what you would expect from a car that has been shut away for many years.

Then came the surprise.

When I opened the door, I discovered a mummified fox in the front of the car.

Nobody had noticed it before then, and it was certainly not something we were expecting. It is not one for the squeamish, but it is part of the strange, slightly shocking reality of dealing with cars that have been hidden away for decades.

You never quite know what you are going to find.

A Glimpse Of How It Used To Look

Fortunately, we also have an old photo of the same car in much happier times.

Seeing the Panhard clean, complete and sitting proudly on the road really brings home what an elegant car this once was. The registration, BCR 928B, can be seen both in the old photo and on the car as it emerged from the garage.

That old image makes the current condition feel even more dramatic.

This is not just an unusual old car. It is a car with a visible before and after story.

Will This Panhard Be Saved?

That is the big question.

We still need to inspect it properly, assess what is there, and work out what sort of future might be realistic for it. It is clearly a serious project, and it will need someone who understands what it is and is not frightened by a challenge.

But it is also a Panhard 24 CT.

It is rare, distinctive, beautifully styled and wonderfully different from the usual British classics we see. Cars like this deserve at least the chance of survival.

Once we have properly looked around it, our job will be to find it the right home. That will probably be via auction, where we hope it will attract someone who sees past the dust, the seized wheels and the work ahead.

Because underneath all of that, there is still something very special here.

Do You Have A Classic Car Hidden Away?

We are always interested in hearing about classic cars, motorcycles, projects and collections that may be available.

They do not need to be immaculate. They do not even need to be running. As this Panhard proves, some of the most interesting vehicles are the ones that have been forgotten about for years.

If you have a classic vehicle that you are thinking of selling, you can contact us by clicking here or by sending details via WhatsApp on 07494 851220.