There is no point in even attempting to cross-reference the Panther Solo 2 with what you have seen on the previous eight pages. Super-advanced and utterly pastiche-free, it was a volte-face product for Panther. Want to ditch your Jaguar-based retro car for a serious Lotus and Porsche rival? Yes, please. Design a bespoke high-tech platform for it, employing materials unseen before in road-car manufacturing? No problem. Power the model with an off-the-shelf engine from a blue-collar supplier, yet charge the Earth for the finished item? Sign us up.
That you may never have heard of Panther's Solo 2 is forgivable, because of the 26 cars built only 11 were ever delivered to private buyers. Nonetheless, as an attempt to distance the brand from the polarising machines it had once produced, the Solo promised so much.
What made this easier was marque founder Robert Jankel's sale of Panther, after its collapse in 1980, to Young Chull Kim's South Korea-based Jindo Corporation. While Kim retained some of Jankel's Panther Westwinds legacy, including reimagining the previous Lima as the Ford-engined Kallista, his panacea was the creation of a sub-£10,000, mid-engined sports coupé that could offer enough comfort and practicality for everyday use.
With Ford already on board as an engine supplier for the Kallista, it was logical to extend the deal to include the 1.6-litre, 105bhp CVH unit, as used in the Escort XR3i. An entirely bespoke platform - another departure from Panthers of old - was to be designed by ex-Alan Mann Racing engineer Len Bailey, who had been responsible for the Ford GT40 and GT70 chassis. And, after approaching the Royal College of Art, Kim secured the services of former Vauxhall designer Ken Greenley to create a fresh, distinctive look for the car.
Denne historien er fra November 2024-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
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
Denne historien er fra November 2024-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
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
RAY HILLIER
Double-chevron oddity proves a break from the norm for this Crewe specialist
SHORT BACK & GLIDES
Eccentric enthusiast Captain RG McLeod's series of Manx-tailed Bentley Specials reached its zenith with this unique S2 Continental.
People's choice
The diminutive but multi-million-selling Fiat 850 packed a remarkable diversity of form and function into its compact footprint
PLASTIC BREAKS FROM THE NORM
Glassfibre revolutionised niche car-body production, but just occasionally strayed into the mainstream.
A SENSIBLE SUPERCAR
The cleverly conceived four-seater Elite secured Lotus a place at the big players' table, but has it been unfairly maligned since then?
"I had a habit of grabbing second place from the jaws of victory"
From dreams of yachting glory to the Le Mans podium, via a stint at the top of the motorsport tree, Howden Ganley had quite the career
Still going strong
Herbert Engineering staked its reputation on the five-year warranty that came with its cars. A century on, this Two Litre hasn't made a claim
One for the kids
General Motors was aiming squarely at the youth market with the launch of the Pontiac GTO 60 years ago, and its runaway success popularised the muscle-car movement
A NEW BREED OF HERO
Launched at the turn of the millennium, the GT3 badge has already earned a place alongside RS, CS and turbo in Porsche lore.
Brits with SIX appeal
The straight-six engine is synonymous with a decades-long legacy of great British sports cars. Six variations on the sextet theme convene for comparison
