French EBR 75 Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle

EBR 75 FL 10 Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle, 1:100 Roskopf 161.

The development of the EBR 75 (Engin Blindé de Reconnaissance) began with the order of a prototype for a three-axle armoured car with retractable middle axle, which combined excellent cross-country mobility and high road speed. The vehicle designer M. Gendron supplied prototypes in 1934 and 1935, but he was not in a position to finance the production of the vehicle. The Somua factory applied for the contract, but the necessary APX5 turret (Atelier de Puteaux) were not delivered in time and the AM Gendron Somua M.39 armoured car could not go into production.

The Panhard factory had been working on the same vehicle concept since 1937, and in 1940 they delivered a prototype of the Panhard 201 which looked very similar to the later EBR 75. The Panhard 201 had a top speed of 80 km/h on roads, four axles provided excellent cross-country mobility, and the vehicle could be driven at the same speed forward or in reverse. The French army accepted the new armoured car, designated »AM 40P« (Panhard), and placed an order for 600 units. Instead of the revolutionary oscillating turret with 25 mm Gun SA35, the production model was ordered with the 47 mm Gun SA37 in a standard turret. This modification had not been completed when the Battle of France endet on 25 June 1940. The single production model of the Panhard 201 seems to have been transferred to Morocco in the summer of 1940 and was lost there.

In July 1948, Panhard introduced a prototype of the new model 212 which was accepted by the French Army as the »E.B.R. 75 modèle 1951«. From August 1950 until 1960, Panhard produced 1200 unit of the EBR 75. The vehicle remained in service until the 1980s, when it was replaced by the AMX-10 RC.

Available Scale Model Kits

  • EBR 75 with FL 11 Turret, 1:35 HobbyBoss 82490
  • EBR 75 with FL 10 Turret, 1:35 HobbyBoss 82489
  • EBR 75 with FL 10 Turret, 1:43 Dinky Toys 827
  • EBR 75 with FL 11 Turret, 1:48 Gaso.Line GAS50247K
    • Crew for Panhard EBR 75, 1:48 Gaso.Line GAS50403
  • EBR 75 (France 1960), 1:72 Solido 421721050
  • EBR 75 FL 11 (1er régiment étranger de cavalerie, Algeria 1957), 1:72 Altaya
  • EBR 75 with FL 11 Turret, 1:72 Model Miniature R185
  • EBR 75 with FL 11 Turret, 1:72 WSW V72-08
  • EBR 75 with FL 10 Turret, 1:72 Model Miniature R186
  • EBR 75 with FL 10 Turret, 1:72 WSW V72-02
  • EBR 75 Wheeled Armoured Recce Vehicle, 1:87 ToyEko 4017
  • EBR 75 R, with FL 11 Turret 75 mm L/48 SA 49, 1:100 Roskopf 162
  • EBR 75 A, with FL 10 Turret 75 mm L/61,5 SA 50, 1:100 Roskopf 161
  • EBR 75, 1:300 Heroics & Ros FM15

Technical Specifications

  • EBR 75 – Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle
  • Motor: Panhard 12 cylinder petrol engine 12H 6000, with 6 l displacement
  • Steering: front and rear wheel steering
  • Speed: 105 km/h on roads, forward or in reverse
  • Range: 650 km on roads
  • Length: 6150 mm
  • Width: 2420 mm
  • Height: 2240 mm
  • Weight: 13,5 t (FL 11), 15,3 t (FL 10), 13,5 t (EBR-90 F2)
  • Armament:
    • 75 mm Gun L/48 (EBR 75 FL 11)
    • 75 mm Gun L/61,5 (EBR 75 FL 10)
    • 90 mm Gun D291A L/44 (EBR 90 F2)
    • four Machine-Guns MAC 31 »Reibel« cal. 7.5 mm
      • co-axial Machine-Gun in the Gun Mantlet
      • AA Machine-Gun on the Turret
      • Machine-Gun under the Driver’s Steering Wheel
      • Machine-Gun under the Reverse Driver’s Steering Wheel
  • Crew: Commander, Gunner, Driver, Radio Operator (Reverse Driver)
  • Production: 1950–1960

Historical Employment

  • French Army
  • Indonesian Army
  • Moroccan Army
  • Portuguese Army
  • NATO (e.g. Bundeswehr trials and training)

Museum Exhibits

  • EBR 75 Fl 11 – Quartier Valmy, 45160 Olivet, Loiret (6e–12e Régiment de Cuirassiers)
  • EBR 75 Fl 11 – Musée des Blindés de Saumur, 49400 Saumur, Maine-et-Loire
  • EBR 75 Fl 11 – 51400 Mourmelon-le-Grand, Marne (501e–503e Régiment de Chars de Combat)
  • EBR 75 Fl 11 – Quartier Marchand, 79400 Saint-Maixent-l’École, Deux-Sèvres (Le Musée du Sous-Officier)
  • EBR 75 – Bovington Tank Museum
  • EBR 75 – Museum of the Portugues Army Cavalry School, Santarém
  • EBR 75 – Museu Militar de Coimbra (Portugal)
  • EBR 75 – Museo Militar de Elvas (Portugal)
  • EBR 75 – Regimento de Cavalaria N° 6, Braga (Portugal)
  • EBR 75 – Campo Militar de Santa Margarida, Santa Margarida da Coutada (Portugal)
  • EBR 90 – Monument National des Chars d’Assaut, 02190 Berry-au-Bac, Aisne
  • EBR 90 »Valmy« – 08140 Daigny, Ardennes
  • EBR 90 – Quartier Fabert, 08200 Sedan, Ardennes
  • EBR 90 – Centre d’Entraînement au Combat, 10230 Mailly-le-Camp, Aube
  • EBR 90 – Musée de la Légion Étrangère, 13400 Aubagne, Bouches-du-Rhône
  • EBR 90 »Lasalle« – Camp de Carpiagne, 13400 Aubagne (1er–11e Régiment de Cuirassiers)
  • EBR 90 – Ecole Supérieure d’Application du Matériel (ESAM), 18000 Bourges, Cher
  • EBR 90 – Camp de La Courtine, 23100 La Courtine, Creuse
  • EBR 90 – Musée de la Mémoire et de la Paix, 25340 Clerval, Doubs
  • EBR 90 »Uskur« – Quartier Baquet, 26000 Valence, Drôme (1er Régiment de Spahis)
  • EBR 90 »Rhône« – Association Française des Collectionneurs de Véhicules Militaires, 28170 Maillebois, Dreux
  • EBR 90 – MVCG Rhône-Alpes, 38510 Passins, Isère
  • EBR 90 »Gal De Gaulle« – Musée des Blindés de Saumur, 49400 Saumur, Maine-et-Loire
  • EBR 90 »Crimée« – Musée des Blindés de Saumur, 49400 Saumur, Maine-et-Loire
  • EBR 90 – Quartier Féquant, 51400 Mourmelon-le-Grand, Marne (8e Régiment du Matériel RMAT)
  • EBR 90 »Athis« – 51400 Mourmelon-le-Grand (501e–503e Régiment de Chars de Combat)
  • EBR 90 – Quartier Général d’Aboville, 52000 Chaumont-Semoutiers, Haute-Marne (61e Régiment d’Artillerie)
  • EBR 90 – 54920 Morfontaine, Meurthe-et-Moselle
  • EBR 90 – Écoles Militaires de Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan, 56380 Guer, Morbihan
  • EBR 90 »Moutardier« – 57950 Montigny-lès-Metz, Moselle (4e Régiment de Hussards)
  • EBR 90 »Koufra« – Quartier Berniquet, 60400 Noyon, Oise
  • EBR 90 »Alsace« – Musée de l’Abri de Hatten, 67690 Hatten, Bas-Rhin
  • EBR 90 »Altkirch« – Avenue du Maréchal Foch, 68130 Altkirch, Haut-Rhin
  • EBR 90 »Marulaz« – Avenue du Maréchal Foch, 68130 Altkirch, Haut-Rhin
  • EBR 90 – Quartier Plessier, 68130 Altkirch, Haut-Rhin
  • EBR 90 – Musée Sterna de l’Armée et des 3 Guerres, 74600 Seynod, Haute-Savoie
  • EBR 90 – Section Technique de l’Armée de Terre, Camp de Satory, 78000 Versailles, Yvelines
  • EBR 90 – Section Technique de l’Armée de Terre, Camp de Satory, 78000 Versailles, Yvelines
  • EBR 90 – Quartier Marchand, 79400 Saint-Maixent-l’École, Deux-Sèvres (Le Musée du Sous-Officier)
  • EBR 90 – Camp de Canjuers, 83300 Draguignan, Var
  • EBR 90 »Tiassale« – Musée des Troupes de Marine, 83600 Fréjus, Var
  • EBR 90 – Quartier Labouche, 84100 Orange, Vaucluse (1er Régiment Étranger de Cavalerie)
  • EBR 90 – Musée Militaire de Vincey, 88450 Vincey, Vosges
  • EBR 90 – Fort Dorsner, 90200 Giromagny, Territoire de Belfort
  • EBR 90 – Panhard Général Defense, 91630 Marolles-en-Hurepoix, Essonne
  • EBR 90 – Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Cranfield, Shrivenham
  • EBR 90 – Royal Museum of the Armed Forces, 2950 Kapellen, Antwerpen (Belgium)
  • EBR 90 – Museum Kiemele, 73569 Eschach-Seifertshofen (Germany)
  • EBR 90 – Auto- und Technikmuseum Sinsheim, 74889 Sinsheim (Germany)
  • EBR 90 – Swiss Military Museum Full, 5324 Full-Reuenthal
  • EBR 90 – Campo Militar de Santa Margarida, Santa Margarida da Coutada (Portugal)
  • EBR 90 – Museum Satria Mandala, Jakarta (Indonesia)

The Panhard EBR 75 was an unusual armoured recce vehicle with excellent driving characteristics, low silhouette, and powerful armament. However, the EBR was complicated and expensive to maintain. For example, the turret had to be removed completely to gain full access to the central engine. For operations in dusty North Africa, the French army relied on the Panhard AML armoured car instead.

Cold War Miniatures