René Panhard

Louis François René Panhard ( born May 27, 1841 in Paris, † July 16, 1908 in La Bourboule, Puy -de- Dôme) was a mechanic, engineer and businessman and is one of the French automobile pioneers.

After completing his studies at the Ecole Centrale in Paris Jean -Louis Perin received him into his company for the manufacture of woodworking machines. A brilliant financial and business man, he put together with his fellow engineers Émile Levassor in the renamed Panhard & Levassor company in 1890 automobiles in America.

For a long time he was mayor of Thiais in the department of Val -de- Marne.