VAB competition Panhard's entry

JAZZ

ACCESS: Secret
Joined
11 March 2006
Messages
302
Reaction score
250
I have a very poor photo of Panhards entry to the VAB competition. Panhard M4 VAB. Anyone have a better photo and information on this losing competitor, also Panhard at about the same time came up with the M8 and 8x8 armoured vehicle.
 

Attachments

  • FR- Panhard M4 VAB_001.jpg
    FR- Panhard M4 VAB_001.jpg
    17.2 KB · Views: 758
Re: VAB competition pahard's entry

JAZZ said:
I have a very poor photo of Panhards entry to the VAB competition. Panhard M4 VAB. Anyone have a better photo and information on this losing competitor, also Panhard at about the same time came up with the M8 and 8x8 armoured vehicle.

Just resurrecting this thread, I've been searching for more info about the Panhard M4 since hearing about it on the South African Prototypes thread. It was evaluated in South Africa was part of the initial IFV process between Sept 25 and Oct 18 1972 that lead to the Ratel IFV. The evaluation went under the codename "TARTAR".


There is nothing out there on google, so I'll pop the photo and description from the South African thread here.

Panhard M4

This vehicle was imported from France, had a hydropneumatic suspension and was amphibious. During a crossing of the Vaal River as one of its tests, it sank and had to be recovered. For the evaluation purposes, it went under the code name of "Klonkie".

There is also an interesting 6x6 Panhard prototype in that evaluation called the M6, which failed to be even tested due to the failure of the hydropneumatic suspension system. There is also nothing out there on Google on this vehicle that I can find so far.
 

Attachments

  • PanhardM4 Klonkie.JPG
    PanhardM4 Klonkie.JPG
    27.9 KB · Views: 490
This is what I have on the M4 and M6. I'll throw in the M8 as well:
 

Attachments

  • M4.JPG
    M4.JPG
    655 KB · Views: 459
  • M6.JPG
    M6.JPG
    128 KB · Views: 416
  • M8.jpg
    M8.jpg
    41.6 KB · Views: 377
Very interesting Costa...thanks.

Interestingly, the attachment you have posted states that:

In 1973 Panhard and Saviem rolled out the first M4 (4x4) prototype designed as an armoured multipurpose vehicle showing a pointed bow design, wheel boxes at the side, and a verticle rear.

Yet, the M4 was part of the evaluation in South Africa the year before, in 1972.

The M6 (6x6) has the name Boerboel painted on the side. A Boerboel is a large South African mastiff breed, so perhaps the info that it was developed for SA has creedence, as I've not heard of this vehicle since.


Interestingly, both these vehicles are described as having suffered failures during the trials. As mentioned, the M4 managed to sink in a river crossing, whilst the M6 suffered hydraulic leaks and the failure of it's hydropneumatic suspension. The attachment in the SA prototype thread mentions that the M6 wasn't tested due to the failure, and sent back to France.
I wonder what became of it?

Below is the indistinct pic of the M6 (a model of?) from the SA prototype thread pertaining to the Ratel programme.
 

Attachments

  • CapturePanhardM6.JPG
    CapturePanhardM6.JPG
    26.1 KB · Views: 162
I have a series of three booklets written by Stefan Marx on the development of the VAB. In the first of these, called: "Unclassified No. 5", the VAB prototypes are discussed as are the Panhard contenders. There are several photographs as well as technical descriptions of the Panhard 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8 vehicles to be found in this book. The "Boerboel" photograph I posted earlier in the South African vehicles thread, also comes from this book and is credited to Christopher F Foss. The books can be ordered from www.platforms-mil.de.
 
some pics - from book Vehicule de l’Avant Blinde VAB (Mili Doc №1) by Le Musee des Blindes (1993), some from other sources
 

Attachments

  • M4 №01 Vehicule de l'Avant Blinde VAB p.04_cr.jpg
    M4 №01 Vehicule de l'Avant Blinde VAB p.04_cr.jpg
    416.5 KB · Views: 118
  • M4  №01 Vehicule de l'Avant Blinde VAB p.06_cr.jpg
    M4 №01 Vehicule de l'Avant Blinde VAB p.06_cr.jpg
    422.7 KB · Views: 101
  • M4  №01 Vehicule de l'Avant Blinde VAB p.40_cr.jpg
    M4 №01 Vehicule de l'Avant Blinde VAB p.40_cr.jpg
    283 KB · Views: 99
  • M4 №01 Vehicule de l'Avant Blinde VAB p.41_cr2.jpg
    M4 №01 Vehicule de l'Avant Blinde VAB p.41_cr2.jpg
    621.4 KB · Views: 137
  • VXB-VAB-M4 №01 Vehicule de l'Avant Blinde VAB p.42_cr.jpg
    VXB-VAB-M4 №01 Vehicule de l'Avant Blinde VAB p.42_cr.jpg
    742 KB · Views: 155
  • VXB-VAB-M4 №01 Vehicule de l'Avant Blinde VAB p.43_cr.jpg
    VXB-VAB-M4 №01 Vehicule de l'Avant Blinde VAB p.43_cr.jpg
    130.6 KB · Views: 142
  • m4 $_57 (43)_cr.png
    m4 $_57 (43)_cr.png
    520.4 KB · Views: 118
  • m4 ВВ 1974-03 с.117_cr1.jpg
    m4 ВВ 1974-03 с.117_cr1.jpg
    2.6 MB · Views: 104
  • m4 $_57 (26).JPG
    m4 $_57 (26).JPG
    146.8 KB · Views: 113
  • m4 VDA Fevrier-2014-1014.JPG
    m4 VDA Fevrier-2014-1014.JPG
    23.9 KB · Views: 123
most pics from Ebay
 

Attachments

  • m6 $_57 (2).JPG
    m6 $_57 (2).JPG
    146.9 KB · Views: 120
  • m6 $_57 (3).JPG
    m6 $_57 (3).JPG
    159.4 KB · Views: 133
  • m6 $_57 (12).JPG
    m6 $_57 (12).JPG
    161.2 KB · Views: 125
  • m6 $_57 (23).JPG
    m6 $_57 (23).JPG
    250.4 KB · Views: 136
  • s-l1600 (1).jpg
    s-l1600 (1).jpg
    105.6 KB · Views: 125
  • s-l1600 (2).jpg
    s-l1600 (2).jpg
    144.9 KB · Views: 141
  • m  №01 Vehicule de l'Avant Blinde VAB p.41_cr1.jpg
    m №01 Vehicule de l'Avant Blinde VAB p.41_cr1.jpg
    248.1 KB · Views: 128
also from Ebay
 

Attachments

  • m8 $_57 (13).JPG
    m8 $_57 (13).JPG
    176.9 KB · Views: 119
  • m8 $_57 (14).JPG
    m8 $_57 (14).JPG
    188 KB · Views: 104
  • m8 $_57 (7).JPG
    m8 $_57 (7).JPG
    225.3 KB · Views: 106
  • m8 $_57 (8).JPG
    m8 $_57 (8).JPG
    172.9 KB · Views: 102
  • m8 $_57 (4).JPG
    m8 $_57 (4).JPG
    223.5 KB · Views: 97
  • m8 $_57 (43)_cr.png
    m8 $_57 (43)_cr.png
    731.3 KB · Views: 103
  • m8 $_57 (61).JPG
    m8 $_57 (61).JPG
    166.4 KB · Views: 106
  • m8 $_57 (62).JPG
    m8 $_57 (62).JPG
    145.7 KB · Views: 102
M2
 

Attachments

  • m2 $_57 (1).JPG
    m2 $_57 (1).JPG
    124.9 KB · Views: 96
  • m2 $_57 (15).JPG
    m2 $_57 (15).JPG
    140.5 KB · Views: 89
  • M2 Wehrtechnik 1971-10 p.419_cr4.jpg
    M2 Wehrtechnik 1971-10 p.419_cr4.jpg
    1 MB · Views: 90
  • m2 2015-12-20_225732.jpg
    m2 2015-12-20_225732.jpg
    107.6 KB · Views: 93
  • m2 2015-12-20_225751.jpg
    m2 2015-12-20_225751.jpg
    111.1 KB · Views: 108
btw, apparently M4 still exists - standing next to VAB in Saumur's "Reserve Collection"
 

Attachments

  • M4 ob_9c3746_jt6b4595.jpg
    M4 ob_9c3746_jt6b4595.jpg
    86.7 KB · Views: 107
  • M4 ob_5082a1_jt6b4457.jpg
    M4 ob_5082a1_jt6b4457.jpg
    100.3 KB · Views: 101
  • M4 ob_820870_jt6b4610.jpg
    M4 ob_820870_jt6b4610.jpg
    79.8 KB · Views: 99
  • M4 ob_cc1dc9_jt6b4604.jpg
    M4 ob_cc1dc9_jt6b4604.jpg
    109.3 KB · Views: 110
From Jane's Weapon Systems 1976 (data is same for all three unless split out into M4/M6/M8):
  • Weight: 10.9 / 11.8 / 13 tonnes
  • Length 5.305 / 5.855 / 6.7m
  • Height: 2.53m (low road), 2.67m (high road), 2.79m (cross country)
  • width: 2.5 m
  • road speed / range: 90kph / 1000 km
  • max grade 60%
  • trench: 1.1m / 1.9m / 2.2m
  • amphibious
All three versions had a variety of engine and weapons options:
  • M4: caterpillar 1150 diesel 200 HP, Baudouin DF6S 185 HP, wide variety of turrets up to 90mm gun
  • M6: caterpillar 1150 diesel 200 HP, caterpillar 1160 diesel 225 HP, Baudouin DF6S 185 HP, wide variety of turrets up to 90mm gun
  • M8: caterpillar 1160 diesel 225 HP, wide variety of turrets up to same 105mm turret on the AMX-10RC
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom