Brooklands History
Both the Panther Lima and Kallista were once produced at Weybridge, Surrey in England, probably in the old aircraft factory premises at Brooklands. This area oozes motoring history, and although the Panther never made a name for itself in motorsport, the models are very British. The open roadster models are very reminiscent of Morgan and MG.
Owned by Ssanyoung
It can be difficult to tell the difference between the Lima and the Kallista. The Lima was produced between 1976 and 1982 before the company was taken over by Ssanyoung. The Lima was then produced as the Kallista from 1982 to 1993. The biggest differences between the Lima and the Kallista are the choice of materials and the engine. The Lima's body is made of a polyester/plastic material while the Kallista's body is made of aluminum. The Lima got engines from GM/Vauxhall while the Kallista got engines from Ford. The latter with either a 1.6 liter Escort engine or a 2.8/2.9 V6 Granada/Scorpio engine. According to Panther Car Club 600 Lima series-1, 300 Lima series-2 and 1437 Kallistas were sold. In the car industry these are very low numbers, so if you see a Lima or Kallista, you should know that they are rare.
Lima or Kallista?
Something that can make it difficult to tell the models apart with the naked eye is that it is possible to upgrade the cars afterwards. One senses, however, that Kallista generally has somewhat higher quality than its predecessor Lima.
Panther Callista
Panther Lima
About the pictures
I only have photos of the Panther taken in France in connection with car gatherings outside Perpignan under the auspices of Rassemblement Vehicules Anciens (rva66). It is clearly a very good environment for English cars there. All the cars are right-hand drive, perhaps brought to the Mediterranean by expatriate Britons? The red Panther Lima is photographed on the beach in Argeles in connection with the Fête Americaine 2022. According to the vehicle register, there are 13 Kallistas and 4 Limas in Norway.
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