RPM 72304 Panhard 178 wz.1940 French WWII Armored Car w/Renault Type Turret

The Panhard 178 was a French armored car from the interwar period and World War II. The first prototypes were built in 1933, and serial production was carried out in 1935-1937 and 1940-1944. In total, about 500 vehicles of this type were built. The drive was provided by a single engine Panhard I SK 105 hp. It was armed with one 25mm Hotchkiss SA 25 autocannon and one 7.5mm Reibel machine gun.

The Panhard 178 was created as a result of a demand from French cavalry units in 1931 that needed a new recon vehicle. After a series of tests and trials, the vehicle developed by the company was adopted and mass production was started in 1936 Societe de Constructions Mecaniques Panhard et Levassor - that's it Panhard 178. The new vehicle had good off-road driving characteristics, good mobility, good armament and armor for a vehicle of this class. Cars of this type were introduced to French mechanized divisions and took part in the 1940 campaign. After the fall of France, the German army not only used the captured Panhard 178 cars, but also decided to continue their serial production, which lasted until 1944! After World War II, the French army continued to use vehicles of this type - mainly for operations in the colonies. The Panhard 178 was also used by the Italian and Syrian armies.