Panther autohistorie

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Panther autohistorie - Panther Six

Panther Six

De Panther 6 is een extravagante zeswielige cabrio met een 8.2 l. V8 motor van Cadillac, welke als middenmotor met twee turbo’s ingebouwd werd. Hij werd in 1977 door Panther Westwinds ontwikkeld en gebouwd. Er werden slechts twee exemplaren gebouwd, beide bestaan nog. Voor de bouw liet men zich inspireren door de Tyrell P34. De maat van de achterbanden is 265/50 V R 16 en die van de vier voorwielen 205/40 VR 13.
De specificatie spreekt verder over een traditionele stoffen kap, digitale instrumenten, airco, een automatisch brandblussysteem, elektrisch verstelbare stoelen en ramen, een in de portier ingebouwde autotelefoon en zelfs een televisie met een 3 inch scherm.
Claims voor de topsnelheid van dit voertuig lagen rond 322 km. per uur (200mph), hetgeen echter nooit werd getest.

Manufacturer… Panther Westwinds

Production……. 1977

Class	Sports Car
Body style(s)	Convertible
Engine(s)	8.2 L Cadillac V8 500ci
Transmission(s)	3 speed automatic
Wheelbase	2670 mm (105.1 in)
Length	4870 mm (191.7 in)
Width	2030 mm (79.9 in)
Height	1220 mm (48 in)
Curb weight	1302 kg (2870.4 lb)
Fuel capacity	136.4 litres
Fuel Consumption	Approx 4-6 mpg.

Panther Six No.1 (RHD)

(Pictures by Terry. Also, thanks to A. Mirko & C. Ellwyn)

Panther Six No.2 (LHD)

(Pictures by Terry. Also, thanks to A. Mirko & C. Ellwyn)

Articel Octane: Out of this world
(“Hors de ce monde”)

Panther Six No.2 - picture of the Bonhams auction in Monaco where it was sold

A few pics I had taken of the Panther 6 when I did some electrical repairs to it a couple of years ago.

Wish I'd taken more at the time. It was a non runner when I got to it, but it only needed a new stater motor and it fired up easily.

Had to sort out the pop up headlamps as well, both were siezed up. One was the original TR7 one and one was a Fiat one, possibly X1/9. I replaced both with recon units and got them working.

Wish I'd taken a pic after I backed it out of the garage in these pics, it dwarfed my MG Midget. I often wonder how many can claim to have actually driven it> Albeit I only drove it out of the garage and around the yard.

The guy who had it claimed he'd bought off the Greek government, after it's owner fell foul of the greek tax authorities. Said he had to have it dug out of a huge plie of pigeon crap in the bonded wharehouse.

Think it went off the auction soon after I'd worked on it?

One or two things I do recall tho. The doors ere off some sort of Opel?vauxhall with glassfibre skins to give the width. The guy asked me to look at the electric door mirrors but they had never been wired up, no wiring to them at all!.

The seats were out of a US car, some of the functions relied on engine vacuum but no pipes were evident as ever being fitted.

I aslso got all the heater/ac fans working, they were siezed up as well. It appeared to have no luggage space , the front compartment was crammed with the ac and heater.

A fasinating car, lucky to have worked on it and driven it.

Regards Steve.

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