No car in automotive history is quite so weird or so wonderful as the Panther 6. An oddball six-wheeled convertible straddling the vision of British coachbuilding and a massive American V8 engine with twin turbochargers. A late-1970s show car that looked like it had been beamed down from another world. There is more going on here than meets the eye, however The story behind this hard-to-come-by car was a roller coaster of daring innovation and slapdash engineering, and a surprising level of durability. There were only ever two.

This post picks up where the Panther 6 left off, taking the story from its beginning to its epilogue. It’s the story of the man who made it, the racing car that inspired it, and the chassis, engine, and interior that made it so distinctive. And it reveals how the car stunned the crowds at the 1977 Motorfair and why its failings and the company’s closure dashed everyone’s hopes. Plus, it tracks the unexpected fate of the two remaining cars. Here’s the story of 10 of its most memorable chapters.

1. Robert Jankel and Panther Westwinds

Back in the late 1970s, there was an era when the custom British coach builders were open to pursue naked mechanical bravado, and not many cars were as true to that ideal as the Panther 6. Designed by Robert Jankel, the brains behind Panther Westwinds, this wild open-top machine was intended to make a complete mockery of the usual supercar concept and to differentiate itself from the pack of everything else out there. It was a courageous claim from an extremely small company, who was up to the task of pulling off something so spectacular.

Panther Westwinds Facts:

• Founded by Robert Jankel
• Surrey firm near Brooklands
• Established in 1971
• Earlier retro J72 and Lima
• Panther 6 as halo project

Jankel had established his Surrey firm near the historic Brookland’s circuit in 1971 after stepping away from the fashion trade, initially gaining attention with retro-styled vehicles like the J72 and Lima. Yet, his ambitions reached far beyond traditional neoclassic nostalgia. This drive pushed him to engineer a halo project that would command international attention. The Panther 6 became the car that would carry the company’s name around the world. It showed how far a small British workshop was willing to go.

2. The Tyrrell P34 Inspiration

The idea for this ballsy build was inspired by modern motorsport. When he saw the 1976 British GP with the game-changing Tyrrell P34 Formula 1 car racing on four miniscule front wheels, he was struck by the concept. The racing machine adopted that unorthodox setup to cut down on front end aerodynamic drag and to make the tires punch down into the road surface for more grip. The images got under his skin.

P34 Inspiration Facts:

• Seen at 1976 British Grand Prix
• Tyrrell P34 had four front wheels
• Reduced front aerodynamic drag
• Increased tire contact area
• Work began in late 1976

Jankel quickly became convinced that translating this multi-axle concept to a road-legal grand tourer could yield remarkable high-speed stability and wet-weather traction. Work began in secret at his personal home workshop in late 1976. His aim was to craft a low-slung, wedge-shaped spectacle that looked more akin to something out of a science fiction television series than standard road transport. The project combined racing inspiration with pure imagination. It was an unusual idea even by the standards of the 1970s.

3. Spaceframe Chassis and Six-Wheel Layout

The hand-formed fiberglass panels concealed a sturdy spaceframe chassis and full rollcage made from welded mild steel square-section tubing. 4.87m in length and over two meters wide, the bodywork was designed to support the astonishing four front wheels, an engineering feat for such a small workshop. The frame needed to be robust enough to cope with the time when it was always going to be subjected to this unlikely arrangement. It was unlike almost anything else on the road.

Chassis and Wheel Setup:

• Welded mild steel spaceframe
• 4.87 meters long
• Four steerable front wheels
• 13-inch front Pirelli P7 tires
• 16-inch rear wheels

The running gear comprised two front axles carrying 13-inch wheels shod in custom 205/40 VR13 Pirelli P7 rubber, paired with a pair of massive 16-inch rear wheels wrapped in 265/50 VR16 tires. Suspension utilized independent double wishbones derived from Vauxhall components at the front, while the rear layout incorporated a modified Cadillac Eldorado double-wishbone assembly with locked steering arms. In wet weather, the forward-most tires were intended to clear standing water, allowing the second set of front tires to grip the tarmac with maximum adhesion. This was the idea that made the design so unique. It showed how the six-wheel layout was meant to work in real driving conditions.

4. Twin-Turbo Cadillac V8 Power

Panther chose pure American displacement to propel this 1,302-kilogram convertible, sourcing a mid-mounted 8.2-liter Cadillac Eldorado V8 engine. Rather than leaving the 500-cubic-inch powerplant naturally aspirated, Jankel enlisted American hot-rod specialist Ak Miller to develop a custom twin-turbocharger system featuring Garrett units. The result was an engine as extreme as the car’s design. It combined enormous displacement with forced induction. Few road cars of the era could match such ambitious engineering.

Powertrain Highlights:

• 8.2-liter Cadillac Eldorado V8
• Mid-mounted 500-cubic-inch engine
• Twin Garrett turbochargers
• Claimed 600 horsepower
• Reversed Turbo-Hydramatic gearbox

Feeding through a single Holley carburetor positioned ahead of the blowers, the setup was claimed to unleash a thunderous 600 horsepower. Power routed to the rear wheels via a reversed three-speed GM Turbo-Hydromantic automatic transmission. It was kept cool by an oversized radiator and a dual exhaust system routed neatly beneath the floor. These parts worked together to handle the engine’s huge output. The powertrain gave the Panther 6 a character as dramatic as its looks.

5. A Cabin Full of 1970s Luxury

The cabin matched the mechanical drama with every piece of cutting-edge luxury the decade could muster. Passengers settled into electrically adjustable Cadillac-sourced leather bucket seats, surrounded by digital electronic dashboard instrumentation that drew comparisons to the Aston Martin Lagonda. Jankel outfitted the cockpit with an automatic fire extinguisher, a three-inch dashboard television, combination-lock gloveboxes, and integrated telephones mounted in the armrests. These features made the interior feel like a rolling technology showcase. They were far ahead of what most cars of the time offered.

Cabin Luxury Features:

• Electric Cadillac leather seats
• Digital electronic dashboard
• Three-inch dashboard television
• Armrest-mounted telephones
• Automatic fire extinguisher

To combat cabin heat, Panther even fitted an air conditioning unit adapted from a Mack truck. This unit crammed the front compartment and left virtually no room for conventional luggage. The choice shows how the car’s builders put comfort and spectacle ahead of practicality. It also highlights the unusual solutions needed to make such an ambitious car work. The interior remains one of the most memorable parts of the Panther 6 story.

6. The 1977 Motorfair Sensation

When the Panther 6 stormed into London’s Earls Court for the 1977 Motorfair, it detonated across the automotive scene like a thunderclap. Showgoers crowded around the display in absolute disbelief, gawking at a low-slung, wedge-shaped spectacle that spanned nearly five meters in length and over two meters in width. Robert Jankel boldly slapped an eye-watering £39,950 price tag on his creation, dwarfing rivals like the Ferrari BB, which cost £26,000 at the time. He also claimed a blistering top speed exceeding 200 mph. The car quickly became the talk of the show.

Motorfair Sensation:

• Unveiled at 1977 Earls Court
• Priced at £39,950
• Ferrari BB cost £26,000
• Claimed 200 mph top speed
• Fifteen buyers reportedly deposited

Thames Television’s Drive In program dubbed it the car of the future, highlighting its lavish interior. Fifteen eager buyers allegedly rushed forward with deposits. It was a pure publicity triumph, captivating anyone who dreamed of piloting a road-legal spaceship. The reaction showed how strongly the car’s bold design appealed to the public. For a short time, it seemed that Panther might have a major success on its hands.

7. Eccentric Compromises Beneath the Glamour

Beneath that dazzling show-floor luster, however, the Panther 6 was an unfinished mechanical riot riddled with eccentric compromises. Jankel conceded that early road tests were fraught with drama, as the unsorted suspension caused the car to repeatedly threaten to stop running. Navigating narrow British streets proved terrifying given its immense footprint. Feeding the twin-turbocharged Cadillac V8 yielded an apocalyptic thirst of roughly four to eight miles per gallon. These problems showed that the car was far from ready for real-world use.

Panther 6 Compromises:

• Unsorted suspension caused trouble
• Roughly 4 to 8 mpg
• Huge footprint for British streets
• Seats lacked vacuum hoses
• Power mirrors never wired up

Peeling back the fiberglass revealed charmingly crude shortcuts, from modified Opel and Vauxhall door frames to vacuum-operated Cadillac seats lacking actual vacuum hoses. Even the power door mirrors were never wired up. The front compartment was so jammed with truck-derived cooling equipment that zero luggage space remained. These details reveal how much of the car was still a work in progress. They also add to its quirky charm today.

8. Receivership and the Fate of the Original Prototype

Before Panther Westwinds could fulfill a single customer order, cold economic realities dealt a fatal blow. Prohibitive development costs combined with the 1979 energy crisis drove the company straight into receivership, guaranteeing that only two examples would ever exist. The dream of a production run vanished almost overnight. The company that had created so much excitement could no longer continue. The Panther 6 would remain a rare and unfinished experiment.

End of Production:

• Development costs proved prohibitive
• 1979 energy crisis hit hard
• Company entered receivership
• Only two cars ever built
• Original registered ROB 10

The original black, right-hand-drive Motorfair showpiece lived a nomadic existence, registered under Jankel’s personal plate ROB 10 and later XPE 384S. It cycled through two-tone paint jobs, was linked to a Saudi royal in London, and passed through at least six UK owners before vanishing for twenty-three years, eventually turning up in Norfolk. Decades later, that same pioneer turned heads at prestigious gatherings like the NEC Classic Car Show and Villa d’Este. Its long journey shows how a car can disappear and return. Today, it remains a treasured survivor of Panther’s boldest project.

9. The Second Prototype’s Survival Saga

The second prototype, chassis XP3100, authored a survival saga that reads like wild automotive folklore. Assembled from leftover chassis parts and factory moulds by a chauffeur after Panther collapsed, this left-hand-drive sibling was advertised for £90,000 on London’s Goldhawk Road before traveling to Canada for restoration. Its creation after the company’s failure makes its story even more unusual. The car was built from what remained of an unfinished dream. It carried the Panther 6 legacy forward in an unexpected way.

XP3100 Journey:

• Built from leftover parts
• Left-hand-drive configuration
• Advertised for £90,000
• Restored in Canada
• Seized by Greek government

It then wound up seized by the Greek government over tax disputes, languishing beneath a massive pile of pigeon droppings in a bonded warehouse. When a technician finally resurrected the car, all that dormant 8.2-liter Cadillac powerhouse needed to rumble back to life was a fresh starter motor and refurbished pop-up headlight units sourced from a Triumph TR7 and a Fiat. It was later auctioned by Bonhams in 2011 for €41,400, preserving a legendary piece of coachbuilt history. The car’s rescue shows how durable the big Cadillac engine truly was. It also ensured that a second Panther 6 survived for future generations.

10. The Legacy of the Panther 6

Both miraculous survivors stand as enduring testaments to an era when daring coachbuilders refused to play by conventional rules. The Panther 6 provided a wild preview and cautionary tale for subsequent multi-axle projects like the Covini C6W. It proved both the magnetic allure and packaging headaches of six-wheeled engineering. Its design showed how much attention a bold idea can attract. It also showed how difficult such ideas can be to turn into practical cars. The story of the Panther 6 remains a valuable lesson for engineers and enthusiasts alike.

Panther 6 Legacy:

• Only two examples built
• Preview for Covini C6W
• Showed six-wheel packaging headaches
• Both survivors still exist
• XP3100 sold in 2011

Instead of fading into quiet obscurity, these machines celebrate the uninhibited joy of mechanical audacity and 1970s ambition. They remain unforgettable monuments to a Surrey workshop that dared to marry an eight-point-two-liter American V8 with four steerable front wheels. The result was an outrageous convertible that still captures gearhead imaginations everywhere. Its flaws only add to its charm and mystery. For many enthusiasts, the Panther 6 stands as proof that great automotive stories are often found in the most unlikely places. It will be remembered as one of the boldest cars ever built.