I just don't understand why a judge ordered the destruction of that car. And, in the future, I would just like to petition the sensibilities of the British government that the owners of cars such as these would be better punished if the cars were brought to the US, sold for the princely sum of $500, and used in sporting events designed for such $500 vehicles. As proof of the effectiveness of this form of punishment, I'm willing to pay $500 for the next EVO they snag, provided it comes through in times for LeMons.
@WilliamG.: Don't believe everything you see on TG,there are auctions in the U.K. where you can buy cars & other items that have been taken from criminals.
@layabout returns: If the owner really was a drug dealer, then the car would have to come off the road - a lot of people could be after him and end up killing a perfectly innocent motorist who thought they'd wrangled a cheap EvoVII.
I watched this not long ago courtesy of FinalGear. And this was one of the best episodes ever. The Panamera race is pretty cool, and even sort of warmed me to that big car and its funky satnav. That game of bulldog is damn fun, although if I was the commanding officer, I'm pretty sure Clarkson would be more dead in shorter time. :P
@reefer: Finalgear is a website that has links to Top Gear (including international versions) and Final Gear downloads for those of us in other parts of the world.
You know, I just didn't enjoy last night's Top Gear as much as usual. In fact I feel as if the whole season so far has been sub-par.
The British Bulldog segment was indicative of that. I know everything's faked, but trying to convince us that they were really using live rounds, or ripping the roof off the car, when Clarkson was anywhere nearby is really pushing the limit.
I understand that Top Gear is just as much about entertainment as it is about cars, but with every season, it seems to be moving further and further away from serious automotive content. The show may not have jumped the shark *quite* yet, but I fear it's not a long way off.
@Pessimipposaurus: I know, but to enjoy the show, I think you need to be able to suspend the disbelief and pretend that they're not faking it for a while.
I think over the years, they've done a fantastic job of this, but every now and then, they push it a little too far.
It is made from a Vauxhall Viva and a Scarface-style giant cocaine mound.
I still say Nice Price (almost typed Brick somehow) because of its attractiveness compared to most kit cars, as well as its embodiment of English motoring Hell. NP is now one vote shy of CP.
A real car built in a real factory, but it still looks like a kit car. After years of producing low-volume replicars, Panther tried to break into the big time with this car - it even managed to get Vauxhall dealers to carry the Lima. The experiment failed. $15,000 is too much for this oddball curiosity.
Actually, the Vauxhall Victor was sold in the US through Pontiac dealers in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It didn't sell well and by all accounts it was a nasty, rusty, unreliable little car:
Of course, this ugly thing wouldn't help you with your Lima. Restoring a Victor in the US would have to be an ultimate Project Car Hell.
I had to vote crackpipe, mainly because all the parts are made of unobtanium. I'm also having sniff test issues with the 1,100 miles thing. Did something unreplaceable break at 1,100 miles causing it to be stored, uncovered, in a dusty garage for the last thirty years? If the guy wants fifteen large for the thing, why didn't he at least clean the freaking dust off of it before takng the pictures? If it didn't look like it was rode hard and put away wet thirty years ago, it might get a "Nice Price". Based on these pics, I'd offer $7,500.
Mike the Dog is sitting by the door with a pair of cow slippers, and a very sad face. was starred
Mike the Dog is sitting by the door with a pair of cow slippers, and a very sad face. was unstarred
For the first time on NPOCP I'm having trouble deciding. I mean, conceptually if I was going for a turbo'd Vauxhall engine in an old-school chassis, a Lotus Seven-style Westfield would be a far better drive and at least it IS the kit car it looks like.
On the other hand, to a young Jamesface brought up in a country where the Austin Ambassador counted as aspirational, Panthers were the business. Remember that when the MGB and Capri died, these were just about the only proper sports cars you could get on these backward shores. The dream was always the Panther Six with its alluring combination of futurism and unobtainability, but the Lima was the inteeligent Brit's way of saying "I like fast cars but I don't display my hairy chest in public, attend key-swapping parties or think You're So Vain is about me, so I'll pass on the XJS V12."
On the other other hand, Vauxhall Magnum spares usually require a weekend or two of well-researched junkyard diving even in the UK, so rarity notwithstanding in the US it's crackity crack crack with frosted crack topping and a side order of cracksickles.
But I have to vote Nice Price for sake of the ten year old Jamesface staring up at the Panther Six on his wall and desperate to drive anything, even if it was an Austin Ambassador.
Mike the Dog is sitting by the door with a pair of cow slippers, and a very sad face. was starred
Mike the Dog is sitting by the door with a pair of cow slippers, and a very sad face. was unstarred
I'm voting Nice Price even though this one looks like it's seen much better days.
As rare as it is, as nicely sculpted a physique as it wears, as orphaned as the marque became, it's worth preserving. The 15 grand is a bit on the heavy side, but starting from that number, I'd meet with the guy to dicker him down a few.
07/13/09
07/13/09
07/13/09
07/13/09
07/13/09
07/13/09
RIP, Evo, you have had a real heroic last hurrah.
07/13/09
07/13/09
07/13/09
The British Bulldog segment was indicative of that. I know everything's faked, but trying to convince us that they were really using live rounds, or ripping the roof off the car, when Clarkson was anywhere nearby is really pushing the limit.
I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.
07/13/09
07/13/09
I understand that Top Gear is just as much about entertainment as it is about cars, but with every season, it seems to be moving further and further away from serious automotive content. The show may not have jumped the shark *quite* yet, but I fear it's not a long way off.
07/13/09
I think over the years, they've done a fantastic job of this, but every now and then, they push it a little too far.
07/13/09
06/16/09
I still say Nice Price (almost typed Brick somehow) because of its attractiveness compared to most kit cars, as well as its embodiment of English motoring Hell. NP is now one vote shy of CP.
06/16/09
Actually, the Vauxhall Victor was sold in the US through Pontiac dealers in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It didn't sell well and by all accounts it was a nasty, rusty, unreliable little car:

Of course, this ugly thing wouldn't help you with your Lima. Restoring a Victor in the US would have to be an ultimate Project Car Hell.
06/16/09
Also, a Victor FB wagon with Solstice GXP innards is in my Fantasy Garage.
06/16/09
06/16/09
CAR IZ EMMAKALUTE!
06/16/09
06/16/09
06/16/09
On the other hand, to a young Jamesface brought up in a country where the Austin Ambassador counted as aspirational, Panthers were the business. Remember that when the MGB and Capri died, these were just about the only proper sports cars you could get on these backward shores. The dream was always the Panther Six with its alluring combination of futurism and unobtainability, but the Lima was the inteeligent Brit's way of saying "I like fast cars but I don't display my hairy chest in public, attend key-swapping parties or think You're So Vain is about me, so I'll pass on the XJS V12."
On the other other hand, Vauxhall Magnum spares usually require a weekend or two of well-researched junkyard diving even in the UK, so rarity notwithstanding in the US it's crackity crack crack with frosted crack topping and a side order of cracksickles.
But I have to vote Nice Price for sake of the ten year old Jamesface staring up at the Panther Six on his wall and desperate to drive anything, even if it was an Austin Ambassador.
06/16/09
06/16/09
06/16/09
06/16/09
As rare as it is, as nicely sculpted a physique as it wears, as orphaned as the marque became, it's worth preserving. The 15 grand is a bit on the heavy side, but starting from that number, I'd meet with the guy to dicker him down a few.
06/16/09
06/16/09
But you have to be prepared for the waves of ignorance that go with it. People will not stop and stare and say "OMG, it's a Panther Lima!"
They will stop and stare and say, "OMG, look at the crappy kit car!"
06/16/09
06/16/09
04/20/09
Panthers were pretty well built, and these were based on warmed-over Vauxhall running gear, so were relatively reliable.
That's relative to Phil Spector, in a sentence that includes '...as a loving husband'.
04/19/09
04/19/09
Yeah, the rare Flockhart edition. All was well until Ford came along and fucked it all up...