Panther De Ville — History, Celebrity Owners and 2026 Values

The Panther De Ville is the most flamboyant car Britain produced in the 1970s. Built in Byfleet, Surrey by Robert Jankel between 1974 and 1985, only around 60 examples were made. Inspired by the 1927 Bugatti Royale, powered by Jaguar XJ12 mechanicals, and finished to bespoke order, it attracted Elton John, Oliver Reed and the Sultan of Brunei. Cruella de Vil drove one in the 1996 Disney film. This 2026 guide tells the story and current market.

Robert Jankel founded Panther Westwinds in 1972 with the J72 — a Jaguar-mechanical SS100 replica. The De Ville arrived in 1974 as an oversized luxury statement, with a 142-inch wheelbase, separate chassis and Jaguar 5.3-litre V12 power (Jaguar straight-six on early cars). Hand-built bodies in steel and aluminium with Bugatti-style cycle wings, free-standing headlamps and a tall radiator grille. Panther Car Club maintains the production register.

Elton John ordered a 1974 De Ville Saloon in metallic blue. Oliver Reed owned a 1976 example. The Sultan of Brunei is reputed to have acquired four for his royal car collection. The 1996 Disney live-action 101 Dalmatians used a Panther De Ville as Cruella de Vil's car — three were modified for the film, two destroyed in stunt work. The surviving Cruella car traded privately in 2022 for an undisclosed six-figure sum.

Most De Villes were built as four-door saloons. A handful of two-door convertibles were produced, all with manually-operated tops. The rarest variant is the 1977 Six-Door — a stretched limousine built for the Sultan of Brunei and one or two other clients. Each body was hand-formed and trimmed bespoke; no two De Villes are identical. To ship one, see our enclosed classic shipping service.

Jaguar XJ12 mechanicals — 5.3-litre V12, GM TH400 automatic gearbox, Jaguar IRS — mean De Villes are mechanically supportable through Jaguar specialists. The V12 returns 12–14 mpg and demands attention to cooling, but it is a known quantity. Body and trim parts are not — every panel was hand-formed, so repairs require a panel-beater and the original templates. Most surviving De Villes have been mechanically uprated with modern cooling and fuel injection.

With only around 60 cars built and perhaps 40–45 surviving worldwide, the De Ville rarely comes to public auction. 2026 values: £75,000–£140,000 for a four-door saloon, £180,000+ for a documented convertible, £250,000+ for the Six-Door. Provenance documentation through the Panther Car Club is essential. Most surviving cars are in the UK, USA, Brunei and Switzerland. See contact us for bespoke shipping of low-volume coachbuilt cars and the imported car insurance guide.

The Panther De Ville is the most exuberant British coachbuilt car of the 1970s — Bugatti Royale extravagance with Jaguar V12 reliability, owned by rock stars and royalty. With production running to only around 60 units, every De Ville has documented history through the Panther Car Club. Buyers should expect bespoke maintenance costs but a rock-solid investment classic that rarely loses value at the £100,000+ level.

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