Rene Panhard and Emile Levassor formed a partnership in 1887. The first Panhard et Levassor car was launched in 1890 using a V-twin engine to a design licensed from Gottlieb Daimler. In 1891 the next Panhard et Levassor design had a front engine driving the rear wheels with a clutch and gearbox between, and this established the standard layout ('Systeme Panhard') for motor vehicles until front wheel drive or rear engine/rear wheel drive became popular. Levassor died in a racing accident in 1895. From 1902 Panhard was building its own engines and innovating in many ways, not always to the profits of the company