Description
Exceptionally rare, one owner from new, 1990 Panther Solo Coupé.
The ‘Panther Westwinds’ car company was founded in Surrey, England by Robert Jankell in 1972 and initially manufactured retro-styled cars such as the ‘Lima’ and the ‘Rio’. In 1977 the 'Panther 6' was launched which took inspiration from the 6-wheeled Tyrell P34 racing car and thus featured three axles! As per the F1 car, the front two axles dealt with the steering whilst the rear axle took care of putting the power down from the Cadillac supplied mid-mounted and twin-turbocharged 8. 2 litre V8. This made the '6' good for 600bhp and a top-speed in excess of 200mph. Unsurprisingly however, with a price-tag some 40% more than a Lamborghini Countach or Ferrari 512BBi, production stalled and only two prototypes ever existed.
Possibly rather predictably with such big ambitions which never came to fruition, the company went into administration in 1980 whereupon a Korean by the name of Young Chull Kim took over before being swallowed up in 1987 by SsangYong.
Conceived back in 1983, the ‘Solo 1’ project initially employed the 1. 6 CVH Ford engine mounted in the middle of a 2+2 sports coupé. It was designed to replace the 'Kallista' which essentially was a slightly modernised take on a Morgan. The development of the Toyota MR2 which was so well executed simply killed the Solo 1 concept however. The next iteration – the ‘Solo 2’ needed to be produced in lower numbers but be more special.
And it was…
… this time the Solo featured the 2. 0 litre turbocharged 204bhp YB Cosworth engine, and four-wheel drive with a 34:66% torque-split four wheel drive system favouring more power to the rear which in styling terms now featured larger cooling ducts for radiators and oil coolers and a Group C inspired wing. Aerodynamically the car created positive downforce and was completely smooth underneath. It had a theoretical top speed of 170mph, with the accepted figure being 142mph.
There were many advanced techniques and materials used in the construction of the Solo. ABS accompanied the four-wheel drive system and the dashboard was carbon-fibre. The steel chassis featured a well-designed ‘horse-shoe’ crash structure at the front end akin to that of period F1 cars and was clothed in a composite body. This was an aluminium honeycomb sandwiched between multiple layers of impregnated fibre-glass bonded by epoxy. Double wishbones also featured at the front. Perhaps the coolest feature of all though was the headlights which adopted a new way of ‘popping-up’ by swivelling around instead!
The result at launch was a car that received mixed reviews but undeniably a car that generated intrigue in abundance. In August 1990, Autocar declared “[Panther] must be one of the smallest manufacturers in the World yet it has produced a car with more flair, innovation and design integrity than most massive corporations ever show.” “It’s rivals, all technically better cars, will be around long after the Solo has died. And that’s the shame because, of them all, it is the Solo that shows the way forward.”
High praise indeed given that ‘the rivals’ were the Audi Quattro 20V, Lancia Delta Integrale 16V, Lotus Esprit Turbo, Porsche Carrera 4 and Renault GTA V6 Turbo…
It is believed that only 13 Panther Solo’s reached customers. This example has been in the same ownership from new and proudly displays the production number ‘023’ on the offside buttress, behind the B-pillar. 2+2 seating was an option and the owner favoured luggage space over rear passengers. Specified in ‘Bright Red’ with optional Air Conditioning, the original bill of sale for £41, 380 is included within the history file The car has covered just 5, 680 miles and presents an unmissable opportunity for any serious collector of unusual automobiles. The car is located at Leavenhalls Classic & Prestige in Shropshire. Serious offers invited. Serious offers invited. Ultra rare, one-owner, Cosworth-powered, four-wheel drive obscurity that was praised for its fine handling in period. An undeniable piece of automotive history that would suit a serious car collector.
