Zuylen, and whispered a regret that on such occasions there was 'always one person who made an ass of himself.' Only six years later the course was covered at an even higher rate than was predicted by the after-dinner prophet, and, among others, by Panhard cars, though the founder of the firm unfortunately did not live to witness this startling consummation.
In September 1896, a race was held from Paris to Marseilles and back (1,061 miles), and two 4-h.-p. Panhard cars completed the course at the average speed of 15·65 and 15·55 miles an hour respectively, with four passengers, as against the two of the Bordeaux race. More definite progress, moreover, was soon to be recorded, for on July 24, 1897, a race was run from Paris to Dieppe (106 miles), and was won by a 6-h.-p. Panhard in 4 h. 36 m., or 23·1 miles an hour. On July 7, 1898, an 8-h.-p. Panhard averaged 29 miles an hour in a race of 895 miles from Paris to Amsterdam and back, and by the next year the 12-h.-p. car had appeared upon the scene, the Paris-Bordeaux race being won by a Panhard of that power in 11 h. 43 m. 29 s., or 33·30 miles an hour.
The year 1899 also witnessed the great 'Tour de France,' a race of no less a distance than 1,440 miles, which was won by a 16-h.-p. Panhard, driven by de Knyff in 44 h. 59 m., or 31·9 miles an hour. The interesting fact may here be stated that in every race yet mentioned the first three cars were all Panhards, and the fourth was invariably a Peugeot, up to the 'Tour de France,' when a Bolleé stepped into the place. The Mors vehicle, however, now proved a formidable rival to the Panhard. In the Paris-St. Malo race two 16-h.-p. cars of that make came in first and second, driven by Antony and Levegh, in 7 h. 32 m. and 7 h. 40 m. respectively, over a distance of 226 miles. In the Paris-Ostend race (201 miles) Levegh on a 16-h.-p. Mors, and Girardot on a 23-h.-p. Panhard, made a dead heat of it, their time being 6 h. 11 m., or 3212 miles an hour. Girardot, however, won the Paris-Boulogne race (143 miles) in 4 h. 17 m. 44 s.; Levegh's time was 4 h. 19 m. 20 s., the winner's speed being 3313 miles an hour. A subsequent race from Bordeaux to Bayonne (163 miles) was won by Levegh in 4 h. 24 m.
In 1900 the 'Circuit du Sud-Ouest' race, from Pau over a course of 208 miles, was won by de Knyff, who made the astonishing time of 4 h. 46 m. 57 s., averaging 4312 miles an hour, and being credited on one stage with 34 miles in 3312 minutes. He drove a 16-h.-p.
