The Panther Solo is a mid-engined sports car that was made by the British company Panther Car Company. It was available as a two-seat coupé, with the option of additional rear seats to make it a 2+2. SsangYong Motor Company, which had become the owner of Panther Westwinds, made a concept car called the SsangYong Solo 3 as a tribute to the original Solo and Solo 2, as well as a racing version called the SsangYong Solo Le Mans, a retooled WR LM94.
Solo 1
The first Solo, the Solo 1, was a mid-engined rear wheel drive car, powered by a Ford 1.6 CVH engine producing (as fitted in the Ford Fiesta XR2), and designed as a replacement for the marque's volume model, the Panther Kallista. The car used relatively simple technology, had contemporary styling and was manufactured with a fibreglass body to reduce its weight.
While the Solo 1 was in development, Toyota launched its second-generation MR2. During a vacation in Guam, the South Korean owner of Panther, Y. C. Kim, test-drove an early MR2. After driving it, he concluded that the Solo 1 would be unable to compete with its rival and thus decided to have the car redesigned. He later explained "I drove the car, and straight after I rang up and told them to stop Project Solo". A new styling design for the Solo was created by Ken Greenley of the London RCA vehicle styling school. The restyled car featured a slightly larger 2+2 layout with a composite upper body, permanent four wheel drive and a mid-mounted engine from a Ford Sierra Cosworth. This would be called the "Solo 2".
The body engineering designers involved were Martin Freestone (composites), Keith Hunter (underbody and structure) and William "Bill" Davis (engineering).
Solo 2
The Solo 2 used the turbocharged engine from the Ford Sierra RS producing at 6000 rpm and of torque at 4500 rpm, around twice the horsepower of the Solo 1. It was mated to a Borg-Warner T-5 5-speed manual transmission (same as in the RS), which drove a Ferguson four-wheel drive system modified by Panther to use XR4x4 components, including both differentials. March did the aerodynamics, producing a C<sub>d</sub> of 0.33, as well as producing the composite construction, encouraged by March chairman Robin Herd.
Cars
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Chassis Number|| Colour || Owner || Country || Registration Number
|-
| 012 || Blue || - || South Korea || F59SWC
|-
| 013 ||align=center colspan=4| Crash test vehicle
|-
| 014 || Red || Y C Kim, passed on to his son || South Korea || G846 WEV
|-
| 015 || Silver || Andie Wills || United Kingdom || D15 OLO (formerly G521 FNO)
|-
| 016 || Red || - || South Korea || -
|-
| 017 || Red || Scott McDonagh || - || -
|-
| 018 || Red || Stephen Allan Vine || United Kingdom || G308 XAR (formerly SPC 21)
|-
| 019 || Metallic Red || Bruno Eismark || United Kingdom || G307XAR (formerly RT 40)
|-
| 020 ||align=center colspan=4| No car produced
|-
| 021 ||align=center colspan=4| No car produced
|-
| 022 || Metallic Blue || Jamie MacRae || - || G99 EDA
|-
| 023 || Red || "Athan Athanasiou" || United Kingdom || H736 HEV
|-
| 024 || Metallic Green || David Carter || United Kingdom || H732 HEV
|-
| 025 || Yellow || - || Japan || G559VYW
|-
| 026 || Red || Justin Ross || United States of America || D5 OLO (formerly H731 HEV)
|-
| 027 || Metallic Silver || Robin Tracy || United Kingdom || BNZ 5010 (formerly 11 JKP)
|-
| 028 || Green || Kenny Rogers || Spain || H733 HEV
|-
| 029 || Red || - || California, USA || -
|-
| 030 || Metallic Red || J Wootton || United Kingdom || H75 OLO
|-
| 031 || Red || George Forrest || - || H734 HEV
|-
| 032 || Grey || - || South Korea || -
|}