This week: Panther
Born: 1972 Nationality: British
At a time when it was fashionable to build replica cars, automotive engineer Robert Jankel set up an operation at the Brooklands track to produce his own versions. His premise was that he would use the best of modern technology and craftsmanship to build pastiches of famous marques from the past. Jankel had been involved in a wide range of special vehicle projects since 1955.
The first Panther car was in the style of the Jaguar SS100 from before the second World War. The J72 used Jaguar engines and sold for twice the price of some of the most expensive Jaguars. Leather trim and finish quality was considered even better than that in a Rolls-Royce.
In 1974, Jankel produced the Bugatti-styled De Ville, using Jaguar XJ12 mechanicals. Two years later, a 2-door convertible version became the most expensive car in the price lists. It also gained movie immortality as the transport of arch-villian Cruella De Ville in 101 Dalmatians. Singer Elton John was a buyer of one of these very rare cars.
In 1975 Panther produced the Rio, conceived as an economical car with Rolls-Royce quality build and finish. It was based on the underpinnings of Triumph's Dolomite, and a more powerful version, the Rio Especial, on the Dolomite Sprint.
The Rio had the strong square style of the Rolls-Royce of the time. Today it's very exclusive because it failed commercially and very few were built.
One of the succeeding models was the Lima, an open two-seater in glassfibre with a 1930s style. The floorplan was developed from the Vauxhall Viva of the period, with the running gear of the powerful 2.3-litre Magnum version. Highly successful in sales terms, it was called "the Panther for the masses".
Cash problems dogged the operation and Korean entrepreneur Kim Young Yi reformed it in 1980. He imported aluminium bodies from Korea to Britain for the 1982 replacement for the Lima, the Kallista, and completed the cars in a new factory in Harlow.
The Kallista, bigger than the Lima, used Ford engines and chassis components from the Cortina and the Capri. It sold well and over its lifetime provided with performance options from engines ranging between 1.6 and 2.9 litres. The car was noted for the levels of customisation allowed to buyers - in effect every one produced was unique.
SsangYong acquired Panther in 1987, but over the remaining years of production in Britain the operation was allowed to wind down.
In 1988 Panther introduced its last production model, the Solo, initially conceived as a 2-seater to be powered by a 1.6-litre Ford XR2 engine. But the Solo II was a 2+2 and powered by a 2-litre Ford Cosworth Sierra unit. For all its modern and stylish looks and its aluminium and carbon fibre construction, fewer than 35 Solos were built before production was stopped in 1990. In 1992 SsangYong exported Korean-built Kallistas with 2.3-litre engines, but had ceased production by 1995, the year the last Panther prototype, the Solo III, was seen at the Seoul car show.
Robert Jankel, who now has a specialist firm building police vehicles and armoured versions of luxury cars, is understood to have bought the brand name back. Since exiting from the Panther enterprise he has retained an interest in building special sports cars, including the Jankel Gold Label and the Corvette-based Tempest. Panthers may return to prowl again.
BEST CAR: Most aficionados would say the Kallista (above) with a Ford engine
WORST CAR: The Solo performed poorly and didn't have the build quality of any other Panther
WEIRDEST CAR: The 1977 six-wheel 8.2-litre mid-engined Panther 6
- BRIAN BYRNE