The Panther 6 was a British six-wheel convertible produced by Panther in 1977. The car is powered by a mid-mounted 8.2 L (500 cu in) Cadillac V8 engine with twin turbochargers paired to a three-speed automatic transmission.[1] Only two cars were made (one in white, one in black), both of which are known still to exist. One is in Saudi Arabia, and the other was shown at the 2008 NEC Classic Car Show by the Panther Car Club and at the 2015 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este by Albert Fellner.
| Panther 6 | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Panther Westwinds Ltd |
| Production | 1977–1978 2 produced |
| Assembly | Weybridge, England |
| Designer | Robert Jankel |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 2-door convertible |
| Layout | RMR layout |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 8.2 l (500 cu in) Cadillac V8 |
| Transmission | 3-speed automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 105.0 in (2,667 mm) |
| Length | 192.0 in (4,877 mm) |
| Width | 80.0 in (2,032 mm) |
| Height | 48.0 in (1,219 mm) |
| Curb weight | 2,870 lb (1,302 kg) |
The six-wheel configuration was inspired by the Tyrrell P34 racing car.[1] The layout consists of one pair of larger rear wheels with Pirelli 265/50VR16 tyres, and two pairs of smaller steerable front wheels with Pirelli 205/40VR13 tyres.
The specification included a detachable hard top and convertible soft top, electronic instruments, air conditioning, an automatic fire extinguisher, electric seats and windows, a telephone and a dashboard-mounted television set.
Claims for the top speed of this vehicle suggested it was capable of over 200 mph (322 km/h).[1]