Whatever happened to the Panther Six?
Discussion
Whatever happened to the Panther Six? If I remember rightly there were three of these monsters built and I've long been expecting one to turn up at auction or being driven by one of the classic magazines, but nothing. Since shortly after their launch there has been complete radio silence. Does anyone know what happened to them. While I'm at it, I remeber being taken round Silverstone in a six wheel XJS pick-up owned by 100+ wheels. I remember it was fitted with an 8.9 ltr Chevy and drove through all four rear wheels. Anyone seen that one recently?
targaman said:
Whatever happened to the Panther Six? If I remember rightly there were three of these monsters built and I've long been expecting one to turn up at auction or being driven by one of the classic magazines, but nothing. Since shortly after their launch there has been complete radio silence. Does anyone know what happened to them. While I'm at it, I remeber being taken round Silverstone in a six wheel XJS pick-up owned by 100+ wheels. I remember it was fitted with an 8.9 ltr Chevy and drove through all four rear wheels. Anyone seen that one recently?
Wow! Blasts from the past! I have the Street Machine/Custom Car mags with the 6x4 XJS.
I'd also like to know what happened to the Panther Six.
targaman said:
Whatever happened to the Panther Six? If I remember rightly there were three of these monsters built and I've long been expecting one to turn up at auction or being driven by one of the classic magazines, but nothing. Since shortly after their launch there has been complete radio silence. Does anyone know what happened to them. While I'm at it, I remeber being taken round Silverstone in a six wheel XJS pick-up owned by 100+ wheels. I remember it was fitted with an 8.9 ltr Chevy and drove through all four rear wheels. Anyone seen that one recently?
I think there were a few more than three Panther Six's built IIRC. I think there is an owner's site/club (albeit with not many members) based in Germany.
600bhp and 194 mph in 1979. Crikey.
Those of you with an affinity for all things Panther may know that Bob Jankel died earlier this year, a sad loss of a true motoring maverick
Like you I share a great enthusiasm for the Six and would love to know as to their whereabouts. Just a thought, if indeed one was owned by Bob and given the previous demise of the old Panther company it may not be that likely but there is a chance he could have owned at least one of them?
If so I wonder if the executors of his estate may look to dispose of such assets or whether they might be retained by his family?
Time will tell of course and this is pure conjecture but that would make one hell of an auction lot and would get me reaching for the Piggybank post Deauville restoration
Like you I share a great enthusiasm for the Six and would love to know as to their whereabouts. Just a thought, if indeed one was owned by Bob and given the previous demise of the old Panther company it may not be that likely but there is a chance he could have owned at least one of them?
If so I wonder if the executors of his estate may look to dispose of such assets or whether they might be retained by his family?
Time will tell of course and this is pure conjecture but that would make one hell of an auction lot and would get me reaching for the Piggybank post Deauville restoration
Batty FTO said:
What about the Panther Solo?
www.panthersolo.com, wikipedia and a page I did
Amusingly I contacted the owner of www.panthersolo.com via the contact page of his website, to say he could use my pics if he wanted.
He wrote back and demanded "where did you get my email address from?"
"Err, from your website, you div".
>> Edited by JonRB on Wednesday 7th December 12:43
JonRB said:
I remember regularly seeing a white Range Rover with 6 wheels around Cheltenham in the late 70's / early 80's too.
Well I was way ahead of my time I modified my pedal car to have 6 wheels in the 60s.
The Panther 6 had the 8.2 litre Caddy engine but I believe they turbocharged it. IIRC the problem with the car was that the front suspension was suspect. A freind of mine swears he saw one in his rugby club car park.
There are pics of several further down this thread:
http://forums.motortrend.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php
And here's a ton more info including pics and schematics:
www.panther-car-club.de/
If you click on the magazine articles many are in English.
Thank me later... ;-)
>> Edited by alexkp on Wednesday 7th December 12:54
http://forums.motortrend.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php
And here's a ton more info including pics and schematics:
www.panther-car-club.de/
If you click on the magazine articles many are in English.
Thank me later... ;-)
>> Edited by alexkp on Wednesday 7th December 12:54
There was no mention of the Panther Six in Bob Jankel's posetion when he died, but I totally agree that it was a loss of a true visionary the likes of which we don't see often enough in the UK car industry. If you have a look at the Geman website there are definately two diferent colour schemes but there looks as if there may be too black cars. Can't read German so a bit hampered with this one! Would be a crying shame if these cars were not in the UK. Anyone found photos of the XJS?
Or how about the spiritual sucessor?
www.coviniengineering.com/c6w/intro.htm
As a fan of Tyrrell P34 and Bedford Val, if I in the lottery guess what I'd order (as well as an Aston Martin V8 coupe 92-98? S600)
www.coviniengineering.com/c6w/intro.htm
As a fan of Tyrrell P34 and Bedford Val, if I in the lottery guess what I'd order (as well as an Aston Martin V8 coupe 92-98? S600)
zaktoo said:
I'm certain that only 2 Panther Sixes were built. Fabulously OTT!
Ciao
Zak
I'll try and find the article that was in Evo no.2...
As I recall from my reading it, there was only ever one built (the numbers were exaggerated to boost the appeal to prospective client numbers at the time!).
I believe that in the article Bob Jankel mentioned that there was a second chassis built but it was never completed.
The location of the 6 was at the time of the interview unknown, but believed to be in a Greek shipping container somewhere in bits
Chris
The Evo article was in issue 2 of the magazine.
Jankel asserted that one car had been built by the factory, but that: 'There was another chassis and some body moulds which we'd taken from the show car. The receiver sold them to a chauffeur who put all the bits together in his garage and sold them for an absolute fortune'. This article claims that the original car is in a container in a Greek warehouse after the Bulgarian owner got thrown in prison.
Just to muddy the waters a bit further, however, I have a copy of an obscure Peter Filby magazine somewhere (I can't remember the title - only ran for a few issues - but earlier than the EVO article, IIRC, and I have a copy in deep storage somewhere) which showed photos of the Six being unearthed by members or the Panther Car Club from a car storage warehouse somewhere in Southern England. They tried and failed to start it, so just wheeled it back in and put the dust cover back on once they had finished examining it. I think the conclusion was that this was the original show car, because it had the factory interior and electronic instrument panel.
Jankel asserted that one car had been built by the factory, but that: 'There was another chassis and some body moulds which we'd taken from the show car. The receiver sold them to a chauffeur who put all the bits together in his garage and sold them for an absolute fortune'. This article claims that the original car is in a container in a Greek warehouse after the Bulgarian owner got thrown in prison.
Just to muddy the waters a bit further, however, I have a copy of an obscure Peter Filby magazine somewhere (I can't remember the title - only ran for a few issues - but earlier than the EVO article, IIRC, and I have a copy in deep storage somewhere) which showed photos of the Six being unearthed by members or the Panther Car Club from a car storage warehouse somewhere in Southern England. They tried and failed to start it, so just wheeled it back in and put the dust cover back on once they had finished examining it. I think the conclusion was that this was the original show car, because it had the factory interior and electronic instrument panel.
I recently read in one of the motoring mags that only 2 sixes were built.
One was dismantled and stored away in a barn in Southern England, but will need a great deal of restoration befor it sees the light of day again.
The second one, which is the better car and apparently complete is in a warehouse somewhere in the middle east.
Bob Jankel designed and built the car after being intriged by the six wheeled Tyrell racing car.
I wonder what became of all the J72s which he built, plus the Rio (a posh Dolomite Sprint) and that awful Lazer beach buggy thing.
One was dismantled and stored away in a barn in Southern England, but will need a great deal of restoration befor it sees the light of day again.
The second one, which is the better car and apparently complete is in a warehouse somewhere in the middle east.
Bob Jankel designed and built the car after being intriged by the six wheeled Tyrell racing car.
I wonder what became of all the J72s which he built, plus the Rio (a posh Dolomite Sprint) and that awful Lazer beach buggy thing.
So it sounds like it may be holed up in a shed somewhere in the southeast. I like the sound of this. Off to dig out my deerstalker and a magnifying glass, I'll let you know if I find it. While were talking about cars from the seventies, I remeber seeing 'The Beast' on the A1 many years ago and a while ago heard a rumour that it was being restored. Anyone heard anything about this one?
targaman said:
So it sounds like it may be holed up in a shed somewhere in the southeast. I like the sound of this. Off to dig out my deerstalker and a magnifying glass, I'll let you know if I find it. While were talking about cars from the seventies, I remeber seeing 'The Beast' on the A1 many years ago and a while ago heard a rumour that it was being restored. Anyone heard anything about this one?
If you mean John Dodds' Merlin/ Griffon engined Beast, he lives in Spain and takes it out from time to time....
www.pantherclub.co.uk/Georges/p6%20restoration/p6%20restoration.htm
the white car, restored, and turbo too.
typed panther 6 into google and it's the first link.
the white car, restored, and turbo too.
typed panther 6 into google and it's the first link.
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