Robert Jankel

Robert Jankel (1 January 1938 – 25 May 2005) was a British designer of limousines, armoured cars and other speciality vehicles. He also founded the automotive company Panther Westwinds.

Born in London in 1938, Jankel was educated at St Paul's School and studied engineering at Chelsea College. He was an avid sportsman and a member of the St Paul's rowing team. Jankel built his first car in 1954: a wrecked Austin 7 which he rebuilt and customised. After an unsuccessful attempt at selling cars he agreed to join the family fashion business, Goldenfelds. During his time as a fashion designer, he still worked on cars, including a classic 1930 Rolls-Royce, which he completely rebuilt in 1970. On a trip to Spain, a bullfighter offered Jankel £10,000 for the Rolls-Royce. It was this sale that inspired Jankel to found an automobile company.

Jankel married Jennifer Loss, daughter of bandleader Joe Loss, in 1962. The couple had three sons and a daughter.

In 1972, Jankel left the fashion industry to found motor company Panther Westwinds in Weybridge, Surrey, England. The company was named "Panther" because of its similarity to Jaguar and "Westwinds" after the Jankel family's home. The company's first car, a prototype two-seater called the Panther J72, was powered by a Jaguar engine and modelled after the Jaguar SS100. Although the asking price for the J72 was around twice that of contemporary Jaguar models, magazine advertisements generated enough interest for Jankel to produce one J72 a week during the car's production. Roughly 500 were produced.

In 1974, Jankel produced the Panther De Ville, powered by a Jaguar engine and modelled after the Bugatti Royale. The De Ville cost twice as much as a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, and only the wealthiest of collectors could afford it. The Panther Rio, launched after one year, was based on the Triumph Dolomite. The luxurious saloon cost three times as much as a Dolomite, however, and only 38 were produced.

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