This highly interesting car shown here is a 1990 Panther Solo 2, car number ‘026’ of just under 25 total examples believed to have been built for the entire world. In 1980, South Korean businessman Young Chull Kim, captivated by a Panther Lima he saw in London, purchased the struggling British car company and began pursuing his vision of creating an affordable mid-engined sports car. After finding Italian design houses too expensive, Young Chull Kim turned to Ken Greenley, head of the Royal College of Art’s car design program, who ultimately took on the task himself and collaborated with renowned engineer Len Bailey, who was best known for his work on the Ford GT40 and later the GT40 Mark V with Safir Engineering. Bailey created a tubular steel chassis using Ford-sourced mechanicals like the Escort engine, Sierra steering, and five-speed transmission, while Panther developed much of the suspension in-house, and by the 1984 British Motor Show, a hand-built prototype called the Solo was revealed. The first version was a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive car powered by a 1.6-liter Ford CVH engine producing 105 horsepower, the same unit found in the Ford Fiesta XR2. Intended to succeed the Panther Kallista, it featured simple mechanicals, modern styling for its time, and a lightweight fiberglass body. Kim, decided to revise the Solo after seeing an early MR2 while on vacation in Guam. A new design was developed by Greenley resulting in a more advanced version overall. This model had a slightly larger two-plus-two layout, a composite upper structure, a mid-mounted Ford Sierra Cosworth engine, and permanent four-wheel drive. Key contributors to the Solo 2’s engineering included Martin Freestone for composites, Keith Hunter for the underbody and frame, and William Davis for overall technical development. Despite its advanced suspension, ABS brakes, and aluminium honeycomb-reinforced structure, production remained highly limited.
How many made? Under 25
Engine: turbocharged 2.0L Ford Sierra RS engine
Debut: 1987 Frankfurt Motor Show
Top Speed: approximately 144mph
0-60mph: around 7 seconds
Photo Credit: @dtrockstar1
Research: @rarecarsonly