Two cats for the price of, well, two...
he above picture gives little clue as to why, at £35,000 in 1983, this rather special Jaguar should have cost well over twice the list price of the standard 4.2-litre XJ6 on which it was based. Indeed, the most noticeable external modification was a very 1980s, boomerang-style TV aerial mounted on the bootlid, while a colour photograph would have revealed the respray in Harrods' distinctive shade of green (carried out to coachbuilders' standards, involving some 15 coats of paint!), set off with the application of a metallic gold finish to all external brightwork, and even to the alloy wheels. Some extra badging completed the picture: one on each front wing carried the Harrods logo, while a small plaque mounted on the bootlid declared "Styling by Panther".
Launched at the 1983 London Motorfair, the car had started out as a Panther initiative to provide a car that could fill the gap in the market between the top end of Jaguar/Daimler ranges and the dizzy heights of Rolls-Royce and Bentley. It was only after they had approached Harrods as a potential supplier of some of the interior fittings that the marketing tie-up was conceived, with Harrods' identity being firmly stamped throughout the car – right down to the bespoke Wilton carpets with their repeating "H" motif – and the car being offered for sale through the store's mens' shop during the Winter of 1983.
The opulent rear passenger compartment. Just visible in the top-right corner of the photograph is the leather-and-walnut-clad, roof-mounted console, which housed a Tenvox "Bijou" hi-fi system...
The real work was reserved for the car's rear compartment, where a pair of individual rear seats from the Daimler Double Six replaced the standard bench seat. Between them ran a very substantial, hand-crafted console which a colour television and video recorder (with individual headphones and infra-red remote control), air conditioning controls, a manicure set and even a gold-plated carriage clock. Built into the back of each of the front seats was a walnut cocktail cabinet, stocked with crystal decanters. The seats were retrimmed in beige leather with contrasting piping, while complimentary brown leather was applied to front and rear centre-consoles, dashboard surround, headlining and special three-spoke steering wheel. The privacy of the rear seat passengers was provided for by tailored curtains fitted to the rear side windows, while in the boot was a set of custom-made luggage.
Alas, despite the interest the car had attracted at the Motorfair, it was not a commercial success. In fact, only two examples were ever sold...
