Panther Solo: Difference between revisions
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[[Category:Sports cars]] |
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[[Category:1980s automobiles]] |
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[[Category:Mid-engined vehicles]] |
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[[Category:Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive vehicles]] |
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[[fa:پنتر سولو]] |
[[fa:پنتر سولو]] |
Revision as of 18:21, 23 December 2010
Panther Solo | |
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Overview | |
Manufacturer | Panther Car Company |
Production | 1989 - 1990 between 12 and 25 produced |
Assembly | Weybridge, England |
Designer | Robert Jankel |
Body and chassis | |
Body style | 2-door coupé 2-door 2+2 |
Layout | RMR layout |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | Template:Auto in |
Length | Template:Auto in |
Width | Template:Auto in |
Height | Template:Auto in |
Curb weight | 2,954 lb (1,340 kg) |
The Panther Solo is a mid-engined sports car that was made by the British company Panther Car Company. It was available as a two-seat coupé, with the option of additional rear seats to make it a 2+2. SsangYong Motor Company, which had become the owner of Panther Westwinds, made a concept car called the SsangYong Solo 3 as a tribute to the original Solo and Solo 2,[2] as well as a racing version called the SsangYong Solo Le Mans.[3]
Solo 1
The first Solo, the Solo 1, was a simple mid-engined rear wheel drive car. It had a Ford 1.6 CVH Engine (as fitted in the Ford Fiesta XR2),[citation needed] and was designed as a replacement for the marque's volume model, the Panther Kallista. The car used relatively simple technology, had contemporary styling and was clad in a fibreglass body in order to save weight. However, Toyota launched their new MR2 around the same time, and the Solo was unable to compete with this Japanese rival.
The South Korean original owner of Panther Mr Y. C. Kim made the decision to amend the Solo after taking a vacation in Guam where he saw one of the early MR2"s. A new styling design for the Solo was created by Mr Ken Greenley of the London RCA vehicle styling school : with a slightly larger 2+2 layout with a composite upper body, permanent four wheel drive and the engine being mid mounted from a Ford Sierra Cosworth. This would be called the "Solo 2". The body engineering designers involved were :- Martin Freestone (composites), Keith Hunter (underbody & structure), William "Bill" Davies (details), Mert Wreford (making coffee).
Solo 2
The Solo 2 used the Ford Sierra RS[4] 1,993 cc (121.6 cu in) engine with twice the horsepower of the Solo 1.[4] It was mated to the Borg-Warner T-5 (same as in the RS),[5] which drove a Ferguson four-wheel drive system modified by Panther to use XR4x4 components, including both differentials.[5] The company decided also to stretch the wheelbase to accommodate 2+2 seating,[4] which was partly done by ex-Ford Europe engineers who had worked on the Sierra Cosworth and XR4x4.[6] March did the aerodynamics, producing a Cd of 0.33,[7] as well as producing the composite construction, encouraged by March chairman Robin Herd.[7]
The lower body of the Solo 2 was a space frame[7] made primarily in aluminium honeycomb sandwiched between sheets of carbon fibre. The upper body was to be glued using an aerospace adhesive to the lower chassis, Kevlar was also used in the door side intrusion beams to meet U.S. crash safety standards.[7] No rollbar was needed.[7] Suspension used Escort struts in front, while the disc brakes were fitted with Scorpio-derived ABS.[5]
It is not known exactly how many vehicles were built (however it was between 12 and 25), as sometimes Panther would change the chassis number of prototype cars. All but three Solos were sold to the public, two were destroyed, and one is still owned by the then owner of Panther. One vehicle was written off by a motoring journalist who walked away unhurt from the wreckage.
Cars[8]
Chassis Number | Colour | Owner | Country | Registration Number |
---|---|---|---|---|
012 | Blue | - | South Korea | F59SWC |
013 | Crash test vehicle | Crash test vehicle | Crash test vehicle | Crash test vehicle |
014 | Red | Y C Kim, passed on to his son | South Korea | G846 WEV |
015 | Silver | Andie Wills | United Kingdom | D15 OLO (formerly G521 FNO) |
016 | Red | - | South Korea | - |
017 | Red | Scott McDonagh | - | - |
018 | Red | Stephen Allan Vine | United Kingdom | G308 XAR (formerly SPC 21) |
019 | Metallic Red | Bruno Eismark | United Kingdom | G307XAR (formerly RT 40) |
020 | No car produced | No car produced | No car produced | No car produced |
021 | No car produced | No car produced | No car produced | No car produced |
022 | Metallic Blue | Jamie MacRae | - | G99 EDA |
023 | Red | Vince Jones | - | H736 HEV |
024 | Metallic Green | David Carter | United Kingdom | H732 HEV |
025 | Yellow | - | Japan | G559VYW |
026 | Red | Simon Rowell | United Kingdom | D5 OLO (formerly H731 HEV) |
027 | Metallic Silver | Robin Tracy | United Kingdom | BNZ 5010 (formerly 11 JKP) |
028 | Green | Kenny Rogers | Spain | H733 HEV |
029 | Red | - | California, USA | - |
030 | Metallic Red | Mr Wooton | - | H75 OLO |
031 | Red | George Forrest | - | H734 HEV |
032 | Grey | - | South Korea | - |
Sources and further reading
- ^ 1987 Panther Solo 2 technical specifications
- ^ http://www.smotor.com/en/overview/solo3.jsp
- ^ http://www.smotor.com/en/overview/solo_lemans.jsp
- ^ a b c Hutton, Ray. "Preview: Panther Solo 2", in Car and Driver, 1/88, p.125.
- ^ a b c Hutton, p.127.
- ^ Hutton, pp.125-6.
- ^ a b c d e Hutton, p.126.
- ^ http://www.pantherclub.co.uk/Georges/solo/solo.htm