From extravagant replicas and six-wheeled fantasies to the Kallista and a restyled Dolomite, we chart the ups and downs of Panther.
To most petrol heads, there’s a world of difference between designing the latest high street fashions and running a company producing a range of retrostyled sports cars, but this unusual move didn’t seem to faze Robert Jankel when he left the family fashion business in 1972 to found Panther Westwinds in a factory overlooking the famous Brooklands motor racing circuit. Born in London in 1938, Robert Jankel studied engineering at Chelsea College and went on to build his first car, a customised Austin Seven special, in 1954 before reluctantly joining the family fashion business following an unsuccessful stint as a car salesman.
Even while working as a fashion designer, Jankel was still involved with cars and completely rebuilt a vintage 1930 Rolls-Royce, which he promptly sold in 1970 while on a trip to Spain to a bullfighter for £10,000. With the blessing of his wife Jennifer, the daughter of the famous bandleader Joe Loss, Jankel invested the cash he’d received from the sale of the restored Rolls-Royce and founded Panther Westwinds to build a range of specialised sports cars. The name Panther was chosen for the new concern as Jankel hoped it would lead to his cars conjuring up a similar image to those produced by Jaguar, while the Westwinds part was taken from the name of his family home.
Denne historien er fra January 2018-utgaven av Classic Car Mart.
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Denne historien er fra January 2018-utgaven av Classic Car Mart.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
3D Technology To Preserve Classics?
Traditionally, the unavailability of a critical component has had major repercussions for owners of historic vehicles, putting the brakes on a restoration project or even forcing a historic vehicle off the road.
UPCYCLING
Two British-made modern classics which made credible sporting saloons despite their unlikely origins.
NICHE WORK
A crossover model before the term had even been invented, the original Range Rover could well be the perfect multi-purpose classic.
CLASSIC REVIVAL
Fancy an MGB without the welding and SUs? The much modernised RV8 should fit the bill.
1980s FLEET FAVOURITES
We profile a line-up of popular mid-sized '80s company cars ranging from the ubiquitous Sierra and Cavalier repmobiles through to the king of the company car park, the BMW 3-Series.
Solid State
Although a well-preserved Volvo 120 Series ‘Amazon’ makes a good choice as an occasional everyday classic driver, the range can be confusing. We play the numbers game and reveal some of the Amazon’s main foibles.
Round-Up - 1990s Jaguars
Following Ford’s acquisition of an independent Jaguar in 1989, the Coventry-based luxury car maker underwent a transformation that led to the introduction of a range of capable models that today are reasonably affordable as well as being fun to own and drive.
Myth And Rumour
The Stag may have suffered a poor reputation when new, but in the 21st century it’s one of Britain’s most popular classics – and justifiably so. We take a look at the pros and cons of investing in Triumph’s sporting flagship.
The Full English
An English-built Citroën meets English wine as we enter a slightly bizarre parallel universe.
Tailgate Revolving Doors
Paul Guinness looks back at his experiences from 35 years ago, when he helped to arrange a club stand at the first-ever Classic Motor Show at Birmingham’s NEC
