Robert Jankel
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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.
Early life
Born in
Jankel built his first car in 1954: he rebuilt and customised a wrecked Austin 7.[1] After an unsuccessful attempt at selling cars, he agreed to join the family fashion business, Goldenfields. 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.
Panther Westwinds
In 1972, Jankel left the fashion industry to found motor company Panther Westwinds in
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.[2]
The Panther 6, a two-seater roadster outfitted with six wheels, followed in 1977, but because of its high cost (US$96,000[3]) and unconventional design, only two were produced: one black and one white. The cars were fitted with a powerful Cadillac V8 Turbocharged engine, a detachable hard top and convertible soft top, electronic instruments, a 17,000 BTU air conditioner,[3] an automatic fire extinguisher, electric seats and windows, a telephone and a dashboard-mounted television set.
Jankel's most successful vehicle was the
The Jankel Group
Panther Westwind went bankrupt in 1979, and it was subsequently sold to South Korean businessman Young Kim. Jankel then turned his focus to the Jankel Group, a coachbuilding company he had founded in 1955 but the firm had been little more than a hobby.
For
In 1992, he built the Jankel Tempest, a
Most of Jankel's work from the 1990s to his death in 2005 was dedicated to building police vehicles, high-protection armoured cars and exotic luxury stretch limousines. In 1995, Jankel produced armoured cars for many police services, including the
The Jankel Group continues to build made-to-order speciality vehicles.[4][5]
Personal life
Jankel married Jennifer Loss, daughter of bandleader Joe Loss, in 1962. They had four children together: a daughter and three sons.[1]
Jankel was an avid deer farmer.[1] He and his wife were founding members of North West Surrey Synagogue.[1]
Robert Jankel was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2001. He remained an active member of the Jankel Group until his death in Weybridge on 25 May 2005.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Robert Jankel". The Independent. 7 June 2005. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ISBN 1-86325-550-8.
- ^ a b "Wheels: Two for the Show". Playboy. April 1978. p. 247.
- ^ "THE JANKEL GROUP LIMITED overview". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ "Robert JANKEL personal appointments". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2023.