The firm was founded by Charles Deutsch and René Bonnet, an offshoot of the Deutsch family's existing coachbuilding shop which had been taken over by Bonnet in 1932.
Until 1952 all DBs had been intended for competition purposes only. ==Racing origins== Bonnet had been promised a works drive in an Amilcar Pégase in the 1936 French Grand Prix for sports cars, but when this failed to materialise they set about building their own racer.
DB (until 1947 known as Deutsch-Bonnet) was a French automobile maker between 1938 and 1961, based in Champigny-sur-Marne near Paris.
The 1938 alloy-bodied DB1 roadster was a special, built using the remains of a Citroën Traction Avant 11CV.
With a central beam chassis with a forked cradle for the 1.5 litre Traction 7A-based engine (originally intended for the DB2) it was finished in July 1945, with most of the work having been carried out in secret during the occupation.
Their two specials both placed in the first postwar race in France, in Paris in 1945, being the only post-war cars entered.
DB (until 1947 known as Deutsch-Bonnet) was a French automobile maker between 1938 and 1961, based in Champigny-sur-Marne near Paris.
An open-wheeled DB7 appeared in 1947 (preceded by the heavy and large DB6 which saw very little action), after which the Automobiles Deutsch & Bonnet was officially formed. Neither single-seater DB was at all successful, but they did show Deutsch - who had hitherto preferred dependable standard units - that a tuned engine would become necessary.
The DB8 appeared in 1948, and won two concours d'élegances before partaking in any competitions.
One member asked to have DB build such a car, and after it made a star appearance at the 1949 Paris Salon Panhard was happy to support the construction of about fifteen more.
In either case, DB proceeded to focus on Panhard designs exclusively. ==Road cars== The 1949 DB8 was bodied by Antem of Belgium and shown at the 1949 Paris Salon.
Immediately before the war the partners concentrated on making light-weight racing cars, but a few years after the war, starting with the presentation of a Panhard based cabriolet at the 1950 Paris Motor Show, the company also began to produce small road-going sports cars.
The formula expired in 1951, with the DB Panhard 500 never competitive abroad. DB was very active in competition, especially in Le Mans 24 Hours and other long distance racing.
These competed at Le Mans 1951 as well as several other races.
About twenty Antem cabriolets were built in 1951, but DB chose to let it die in favor of a coupé version of the same ("Coach" in French).
By 1952 the company no longer had its own stand at the Paris Motor Show, but one of their cars appeared as a star attraction on the large Panhard stand, reflecting the level of cooperation between the two businesses. The company was defunct by 1961, as Deutsch and Bonnet's differing design philosophies hamstrung further cooperation.
Until 1952 all DBs had been intended for competition purposes only. ==Racing origins== Bonnet had been promised a works drive in an Amilcar Pégase in the 1936 French Grand Prix for sports cars, but when this failed to materialise they set about building their own racer.
In 1952, a DB Speedster was entered in the 12 Hours of Sebring and won its class handsomely, beginning its career in the United States market.
These had bodywork designed by Deutsch, and again mainly relied on Dyna underpinnings and a central steel-tube frame. The steel-bodied, Frua-designed 1952 "Mille Miles" (celebrating class victories at the Mille Miglia) was a mini-GT with a 65 hp Panhard two-cylinder.
It was somewhat expensive, and at the 1953 Paris Salon a Chausson-designed DB Coach in fibreglass, although it did not enter production until 1954.
Steve Lansing and Ward Morehouse were the drivers. At the 1954 Le Mans DB entered five cars and were also involved with Panhards "Monopole" racers.
It was somewhat expensive, and at the 1953 Paris Salon a Chausson-designed DB Coach in fibreglass, although it did not enter production until 1954.
The HBR 4/5 model (1954–1959) was the partners' most successful project to date, with several hundred of the little cars produced between 1954 and 1959.
DB even managed an outright win in the handicapped 1954 Tourist Trophy sports car race, with Laureau and Armagnac driving.
The HBR 4/5 model (1954–1959) was the partners' most successful project to date, with several hundred of the little cars produced between 1954 and 1959.
This was followed by the Le Mans convertible and hardtop, which was shown in 1959 and built by DB until 1962, and continued until 1964 by René Bonnet.
DB (until 1947 known as Deutsch-Bonnet) was a French automobile maker between 1938 and 1961, based in Champigny-sur-Marne near Paris.
By 1952 the company no longer had its own stand at the Paris Motor Show, but one of their cars appeared as a star attraction on the large Panhard stand, reflecting the level of cooperation between the two businesses. The company was defunct by 1961, as Deutsch and Bonnet's differing design philosophies hamstrung further cooperation.
Charles Deutsch, wanting to stick to Panhard engines, left DB in 1961 to found his own firm (CD).
This was followed by the Le Mans convertible and hardtop, which was shown in 1959 and built by DB until 1962, and continued until 1964 by René Bonnet.
This was followed by the Le Mans convertible and hardtop, which was shown in 1959 and built by DB until 1962, and continued until 1964 by René Bonnet.
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