The bike came back to its roots on Thursday for the first time in 33 years – having been ridden all the way from France by its current owner, Jos Evers.

Jos, who has carefully restored it from an almost ruinous condition, had appealed through the Guardian and Herald, for P&M workers to come along to the Commercial in Cleckheaton to be reunited with the Chariot.

And he was overwhelmed by the response.

"I can't believe so many people have come," he said.

"And I'm also pleased that so many members of the Panther Owners Club have come along as well with their bikes."

"I've been working on the Chariot for so many years now. It was in a horrible state when I got it, it was almost gone forever.

"It's taken so much work to get it back to this condition and I thought it would be nice to bring it back to Cleckheaton where it was always on duty."

The Chariot was used by Phelon and Moore employees to transport the Panther motorcycles and Panther parts from the Horncastle Street factory to Cleckheaton railway station and to dealers until production ceased in the 1960s.

While no more bikes were made, the works did open each Wednesday for the sale of spare parts, but when that stopped in 1975, the Chariot went to a Panther enthusiast in Huddersfield.

In 1982, he sold the combination to a Dutchman, who passed it on to another Dutchman.

From then it was neglected until it came into Jos's hands.

For Jos the painstaking restoration has been a labour of love and he is delighted with the results.

"I use all my Panther bikes and I use the Chariot to do my shopping!" he said.

"It's hard work to ride because it's very heavy but it goes well considering its age."

It's the third time Jos has been to Cleckheaton and he is firm friends with fellow Panther enthusiast Gordon North, staying at his Littletown home when he visits.

Gordon's model 35 was placed in the Chariot to show how the bikes were transported, and both men rode into the town together on their Panther machines.

Other POC members brought along their own bikes including a pre-war red Panther, a model 30 red, a model 100 side car outfit and a 120.

After the visit to Cleckheaton, Jos, Gordon and other members attended the national POC meeting in the Midlands.