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Vintage Racecar Feature
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Small But Sensational

The Fairchild Panhard was one of the most successful small displacement American Specials built in the ’50s. Powered by a Panhard engine, this car was driven to consecutive California Sports Car Club Pacific Coast H Modified championships (1958 and ’59) by Bill Mollé. It is seen here at Riverside on November 17, 1957. Photo: Allen Kuhn

Which sub-one-liter competition engine has the most international road racing victories of all time? OSCA? Bandini? Crosley? Abarth? Nardi? Moretti? The answer is not so obvious. It’s none of the above!

Now here are a few hints. It’s not Italian. And it’s not English or German or American…honest. And it’s no twin-cam. That’s right, it’s a pushrod job with torsion valve springs and a needle bearing crankshaft. But I’ve saved the best for last. The thing only has two cylinders…and it’s French!

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