If you’re the type who is always on the hunt for oddball cars, boy do I have one for you! The French brand Panhard is likely best known for the odd looking, but advanced Dyna Z. If the Dyna just isn’t odd enough for your tastes, Panhard offered another car that was even more unusual. This 1960 Panhard PL-17 is without a doubt one of the oddest cars I have seen in a while and I absolutely love it! This one needs a complete restoration and could prove to be a difficult project, but if you’re up for the task you can find it here on eBay in McMinnville, Oregon. Special thanks goes to Jim S for the tip!

When the PL 17 was introduced in 1959 it wasn’t just odd, it was an incredibly efficient and capable car. Power came from an 850cc boxer 2-cylinder, which was good for about 40 hp. For the size of car this doesn’t seem like much power, but the car was surprisingly lightweight and the odd looking design was quite aerodynamic. Looking at this car you might think that the hood scoop and bulge have to hurt efficiency and I’m sure they do, but they aren’t original. A previous owner installed a VW Type I motor, which must have required making more hood clearance and improved ventilation. I would say they were trying to improve performance, but the VW boxer 4 isn’t all that much more powerful than the original 2-cylinder. I would guess the original engine was damaged beyond repair and finding a replacement wasn’t possible, so they installed the only engine they could make fit.

I can’t help but wonder what impact the engine swap has had on this car. In original trim, these were actually quite nimble. They might have not had a lot of power, but the 1,700 pound weight helped handling and performance significantly. In 1961 three PL 17s proved how quickly they really were when they took all three podium positions at the Monte Carlo Rally. While I’m sure the rules were on their side, this was no small feat.

Finding parts for this car could be a challenge. Not only is it French, but these were never great sellers. Shortly after the PL 17’s introduction, Citroen bought out Panhard’s automobile division. Citroen struggled to price the PL competitively and the use of exotic materials like aluminum made it that much more difficult to turn a profit. If you’re alright with leaving the VW motor under the hood, it should prove to be cheaper and easier to get and keep running. The interior is going to need a considerable amount of work, but hopefully all the hard to find pieces are here.

This one might prove to be a difficult project, but when will you see another VW-powered French car that is this odd? I guarantee you’ll never see another one anywhere! I would just be sure to check out the engine bay carefully and make sure the swap was done properly. So would you leave the VW engine in place or would you find the correct Panhard unit?