Panther De Ville
Encyclopedia
The Panther De Ville was a neo-classic luxury model from Panther Westwinds
, the British
specialty maker. Offered from 1974 to 1985, the De Ville was conceived by Robert Jankel
to appeal to the taste
of nouveau riche
customer
s, including singer Elton John
and actor
Oliver Reed
. About 60 De Villes were hand-built, including eleven two-door convertible
s (for many years Britain's most expensive listed production car), and one pink and gold six-door limousine
.
With a wheelbase
of 142 inches (3,606.8 mm), the tubular-framed
De Ville used a straight-six engine or a V12 engine
from Jaguar Cars. The flowing wing lines and big headlights of the De Ville were styled to imitate the Bugatti Royale. The cockpit of the De Ville was modern, without the exterior's pretense of pre-war styling.
The Panther De Ville was equipped with Jaguar suspension
, power steering
and automatic transmission
, so it was an easy car to drive and quite quick, although poor aerodynamics
tended to keep the top speed low. Interiors were lavish and often featured TV sets and drinks bars. The doors of the De Ville were from the BMC 1800 family car.
A Panther De Ville was used in Disney's
1996 motion picture 101 Dalmatians as Cruella De Vil
's car. The Jaguar engine in the car was replaced with a small-block Chevrolet V8
.
Panther Westwinds
Panther Westwinds was a manufacturer of niche sports cars and luxury cars, based in Surrey, United Kingdom. Founded in 1972 by Robert Jankel, the Panther company enjoyed success throughout the 1970s with retro-styled cars based on the mechanical components of standard production cars from other...
, the British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
specialty maker. Offered from 1974 to 1985, the De Ville was conceived by Robert Jankel
Robert Jankel
Robert Jankel was arguably the world's most famous designer of limousines, armoured cars and other speciality vehicles. He also founded the automotive company Panther Westwinds.- Early life :...
to appeal to the taste
Taste (sociology)
Taste as an aesthetic, sociological, economic and anthropological concept refers to a cultural patterns of choice and preference. While taste is often understood as a biological concept, it can also be reasonably studied as a social or cultural phenomenon. Taste is about drawing distinctions...
of nouveau riche
Nouveau riche
The nouveau riche , or new money, comprise those who have acquired considerable wealth within their own generation...
customer
Customer
A customer is usually used to refer to a current or potential buyer or user of the products of an individual or organization, called the supplier, seller, or vendor. This is typically through purchasing or renting goods or services...
s, including singer Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed was an English actor known for his burly screen presence. Reed exemplified his real-life macho image in "tough guy" roles...
. About 60 De Villes were hand-built, including eleven two-door convertible
Convertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
s (for many years Britain's most expensive listed production car), and one pink and gold six-door limousine
Limousine
A limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
.
With a wheelbase
Wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
of 142 inches (3,606.8 mm), the tubular-framed
Frame (vehicle)
A frame is the main structure of the chassis of a motor vehicle. All other components fasten to it; a term for this is design is body-on-frame construction.In 1920, every motor vehicle other than a few cars based on motorcycles had a frame...
De Ville used a straight-six engine or a V12 engine
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
from Jaguar Cars. The flowing wing lines and big headlights of the De Ville were styled to imitate the Bugatti Royale. The cockpit of the De Ville was modern, without the exterior's pretense of pre-war styling.
The Panther De Ville was equipped with Jaguar suspension
Jaguar independent rear suspension
Jaguar's independent rear suspension unit has been a common component of a number of Jaguar production cars since 1961, passing through three major changes of configuration up to 2003 and still used in the full-sized Jaguar XJ...
, power steering
Power steering
Power steering helps drivers steer vehicles by augmenting steering effort of the steering wheel.Hydraulic or electric actuators add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver needs to provide only modest effort regardless of conditions. Power steering helps considerably when a...
and automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
, so it was an easy car to drive and quite quick, although poor aerodynamics
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...
tended to keep the top speed low. Interiors were lavish and often featured TV sets and drinks bars. The doors of the De Ville were from the BMC 1800 family car.
A Panther De Ville was used in Disney's
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
1996 motion picture 101 Dalmatians as Cruella De Vil
Cruella de Vil
Cruella de Vil is a fictional character and the iconic villain in Dodie Smith's 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians, Disney's 1961 animated film adaptation One Hundred and One Dalmatians, and Disney's live-action film adaptations 101 Dalmatians and 102 Dalmatians. In all her incarnations,...
's car. The Jaguar engine in the car was replaced with a small-block Chevrolet V8
Chevrolet Small-Block engine
The Chevrolet small-block engine is a series of automobile V8 engines built by the Chevrolet Division of General Motors using the same basic small engine block...
.