Panther Westwinds
Encyclopedia
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
s and luxury cars, based in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Founded in 1972 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 :...
, the Panther company enjoyed success throughout the 1970s with retro-styled cars based on the mechanical components of standard production cars from other manufacturers.
Notable examples included 1975's Panther Rio
Panther Rio
The Panther Rio was a motor car made by British manufacturer Panther Westwinds, using Triumph Dolomite mechanicals. According to the company, it differed from the family saloon-class Dolomite, in being finished to "Rolls-Royce standards". Only 38 were built between 1975 and 1977...
: based on the Triumph Dolomite
Triumph Dolomite
The Triumph Dolomite was a popular small saloon car produced by the Triumph Motor Company division of the British Leyland Corporation in Canley, Coventry between October 1972 and August 1980.-History:...
, but appointed to "Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Motors
Rolls-Royce Motors was created from the de-merger of the Rolls-Royce car business from Rolls-Royce Limited in 1973. The original Rolls-Royce Limited had been nationalised in 1971 due to the financial collapse of the company, caused in part by the development of the RB211 jet engine...
standards" — the cost of which was equivalent to three Triumph Dolomites. Another, and particularly unusual, model was the three-axled Panther 6
Panther 6
The Panther 6 was an extravagant six-wheel convertible powered by a mid-mounted 8.2 L Cadillac V8 engine with twin turbochargers. It was produced by Panther in 1977. Only two cars were ever made , both of which still exist...
.
The Panther company collapsed in 1980 and was purchased by Young Kim of Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. He built a new British factory in Harlow
Harlow
Harlow is a new town and local government district in Essex, England. It is located in the west of the county and on the border with Hertfordshire, on the Stort Valley, The town is near the M11 motorway and forms part of the London commuter belt.The district has a current population of 78,889...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, and began assembling cars using Korean-made bodies. In the 1980s the company moved into the sports car arena, culminating with the 1990 Panther Solo
Panther Solo
The Panther Solo is a mid-engined sports car that was made by the British company Panther Car Company. It was available as a two-seat coupé, with the option of additional rear seats to make it a 2+2...
. Panther lost money on every Solo, and the company was liquidated, with assets going to the Korean SsangYong Motor Company
SsangYong Motor Company
SsangYong Motor Company is the fourth largest South Korean automobile manufacturer. The name SsangYong means double dragons.SsangYong was acquired by India's Mahindra & Mahindra Limited in February 2011, after being named the preferred bidder in 2010 to acquire the bankruptcy-protected company...
shortly afterwards.
List of Panther vehicles
- 1972–81 Panther J.72Panther J72The J.72 was the first product of the Panther Westwinds company, sold from 1972 through 1981. It was an ultra-exclusive luxury roadster, intended to compete with the best of the 1970s motor industry. It used mechanicals from the XJ12, including the 5.3 L Jaguar V12 engine, and was styled like...
- 1974–75 Panther FFPanther FFThe Panther FF was a 2-door open roadster sports car produced by Panther Westwinds in 1974 and 1975. The car was powered by a 4.0 L Ferrari Colombo V12 engine for which an output of 300 bhp was claimed...
- 1974–74 Panther LazerPanther LazerThe Lazer was an open roadster sports car produced by the UK's Panther Westwinds company in 1974. Only one was ever sold. The Canadian importer for Panther wanted Robert Jankel to build a unique automobile as a surprise present for his wife...
- 1974–85 Panther De VillePanther De VilleThe 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 customers, including singer Elton John and actor Oliver Reed...
- 1975–77 Panther RioPanther RioThe Panther Rio was a motor car made by British manufacturer Panther Westwinds, using Triumph Dolomite mechanicals. According to the company, it differed from the family saloon-class Dolomite, in being finished to "Rolls-Royce standards". Only 38 were built between 1975 and 1977...
- 1976–82 Panther LimaPanther LimaThe Panther Lima was a retro-styled roadster of the 1970s. It used Vauxhall Viva and Magnum mechanicals, including that car's 2.3 L engine. A later Mark II model used a purpose-built chassis. The body was built of fibreglass in a roadster style reminiscent of an Allard or Morgan. The...
- 1977–78 Panther 6Panther 6The Panther 6 was an extravagant six-wheel convertible powered by a mid-mounted 8.2 L Cadillac V8 engine with twin turbochargers. It was produced by Panther in 1977. Only two cars were ever made , both of which still exist...
- 1982–90 Panther KallistaPanther KallistaThe Kallista replaced the Panther Lima as Panther Car Company's volume model for the 1980s. Unlike the Vauxhall-based Lima, the Kallista used Ford mechanicals, including a range of engines from 1.6 L straight-4 to 2.9 L Cologne V6. The later SsangYong-built models of the 1990s used a...
- 1989–90 Panther SoloPanther SoloThe Panther Solo is a mid-engined sports car that was made by the British company Panther Car Company. It was available as a two-seat coupé, with the option of additional rear seats to make it a 2+2...