Description
Panther Kallista – Cherished Car
The Panther Car Company enjoyed considerable success through the 1980’s, its first high volume production sports car was the Lima based on Vauxhall running gear. The Spitfire/ TR7// Midget/ MGB had all been phased out of production, the MX5 was still on the drawing board in Japan and the Lima quickly became a popular choice for those looking for a traditional sports car.
The Kallista that followed used Ford components although styling still resembled earlier Allard and Morgan classics. The car utilised an aluminium body over a purpose-built steel chassis that gave excellent handling while performance was good with 60mph achieved in around 8 seconds and a top speed in excess of 100mph.
At Milestones we have never had an opportunity to market a Kallista and were therefore delighted when the proud owner of this local car approached us.
The running gear of the car is derived from the Ford Escort (XR3) CVH 1600cc engine mated to a five-speed gearbox all running on Cortina front & rear suspension making for a very easy car to use & maintain while also providing (if desired) a very entertaining drive! The car copes easily with modern road conditions
The Kallista sits well, the blue/ silver aluminium bodywork really suits the car and has just the odd blemish commensurate with age and use.
The interior is remarkably comfortable, all instruments/ switches operate exactly as they should and fall nicely to hand. The hood was replaced around 2 years ago and is still in excellent condition.
Although the Kallista is a rare sight these days all the mechanical components are readily available. The Panther Club is very active with technical support and regular meetings including UK & European tours.
The current owner bought the Panther as he was looking for a practical soft-top that stood out from the crowd. He has been absolutely delighted with the car and is only selling because of loss of storage.
We have been very impressed with this "modern" classic – a week navigating the North Coast 500 would be the perfect road-trip….
