- Panther De Ville
The Panther De Ville is an exclusive luxury model from the British specialty maker,
Panther Westwinds . Starting in 1974, the De Ville, being even more flamboyant a model, was positioned above the J72 as the company's top model. Sitting on a giant convert|142|in|mm|1|sing=on wheelbase, the tubular-framed De Ville used Jaguar XJ12 mechanicals including Jaguar six and 12-cylinder engines, and was produced in extremely limited numbers. With its flowing wing lines, and big headlights, the vehicle was styled to ape the 1930Bugatti Royale . Underneath the body, there was Jaguar suspension, power steering and an automatic transmission, making it an easy car to drive and fairly brisk. However, poor aerodynamics had a tendency to keep the top speeds low. The interiors of these vehicles were often lavish, and outfitted with TV sets and drinking bars. Both fixed-top and rarerconvertible versions were built. Pricing was set at a lofty £100,000, limiting the market to celebrities likeElton John . The car shown is a DeVille Saloon owned by Julian Chen & is being displayed at theCartier Et Luxe .Production of the De Ville ended in 1985 with roughly 60 produced, including two-door convertible and one pink and gold six-door limousine.
Engines:
* 4.2 L (4235 cc) "Jaguar"I6
* 5.3 L (5343 cc) "Jaguar"V12 External links
* [http://www.MyPanther.de Panther deVille Restoration and 6.000 Panther pics around the world] Unique DeVille Convertible - [http://www.pantherclub.co.uk/Georges/deville/deville.htm]
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