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 London on 1st January 1938, Jankel was educated at St Paul's School, he enjoyed sport especially rowing. He left there and began to study engineering at Chelsea College. Jankel built his first car in 1954: he rebuilt and customised a wrecked Austin 7. 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. Jankel married Jennifer Loss, daughter of bandleader Joe Loss, in 1962. They had four children together, one daughter and three sons. Panther Westwinds 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. The Panther 6, a two-seater roadster outfitted with six wheels, followed in 1977, but because of its high cost and unconventional design, only two were produced one black and one white. Both cars were fitted with powerful Cadillac V8 Turbocharged engine. Jankel's most successful vehicle was the Panther Lima. The Lima was styled like a 1930s roadster but used modern fibreglass technology for the body, which was built around a steel framework and