Description
The Panhard EBR was a French armored car from the Cold War period. The first prototypes of the vehicle were created in 1948, and serial production continued in the period 1951-1960, ending with the production of about 1,200 copies of this car. The Panhard EBR was engine driven Panhard 12H 6000 with a power of 200 HP. The vehicle was armed with a single 90mm F2 cannon or a 75mm SA-49 cannon and three 7.5mm machine guns.
The Panhard EBR was created in response to the urgent demand of the French armed forces, which needed a new, heavy reconnaissance vehicle after the end of World War II. The new design is based on the AMR-201 transporter. Finally, a structure was created with very good mobility and off-road characteristics, high maximum speed and strong armament. Several versions of this vehicle were created in the course of series production. The chronological first used the FL-11 turret and was armed with a 75 mm gun. In 1954, a slightly modified version was introduced, using the FL-10 turret and slightly changed main armament. In 1963, a version with a 90mm gun in the FL-11 turret entered production. For the needs of the Portuguese army, in 1956, a version without a turret was created, which served as an armored personnel carrier. It was produced only for the use of Portugal. The Panhard EBR in the French Army began to be withdrawn into reserve from 1979 in favor of the AMX-10RC. However, he managed to take part in several armed conflicts, including the war in Algeria (1954-1962). It was also exported to several foreign recipients, such as Indonesia, Portugal and Tunisia.
