The Cruella De Ville’s car or the Panther de Ville is one of the most unique and famous cars in the world thanks to the shows in which it has been used, In the movies, Cruella’s car has sleek, long looks along with the black and white color scheme, which resembles the look of a dalmatian dog.
Also, the car is usually shown as luxurious and lavish in which matches Cruella’s rich personality. Usually, you will see it equipped with a lot of exclusive accessories like horns, mirrors, and other flashy accessories. Today we deep dive into its history to know everything about the machine, its history or what was the engine used, or if you can buy one today, and our personal thoughts on it we will tell you everything!
About Cruella De Ville’s car
Launched in 1974, Cruella De Ville’s car, the Panther De Ville, is one of the most iconic as well as exclusive cars in history as it was embedded in every child’s memory as a car that was owned by the rich. And its popularity reached heights when it was used in the movie, 101 Dalmatians. Apart from that it was also used in another movie called “Mother, Jugs and Speed”. Limited to only 60 units which were produced in a total of 10 years, Today we discuss some interesting facts about the Panther, and what made it so special among the young audience. So without wasting any time let’s get started!
What made the Cruella DE Ville’s car so special?
The Panther De Ville was a prime example of cars that had great engines in vintage body styles. Apart from the fact that it was very rare, it was a delight to watch these cars move on the road. And as these were produced for a specific niche audience, these cars were heavily customized by the buyers. So it was very easy to recognize which car belonged to whom. Apart from that, the Panther possessed great quality as they were hand-built by specific people. The design was a stand apart from all the regular cars on the road.
What we did not like about Cruella De Ville’s car?
The Panther was very expensive at the time for sale and apart from that, they were produced in very limited numbers making it difficult to buy even for potential buyers back then.
What’s under the hood?
The original Cruella Panther from the factory consisted of an XK6 or V12 from Jaguar, depending on the requirements, which was meant for smooth driving and great refinement overall, and was capable of doing a top speed of 110 MPH and 0-60 MPH mark in 12 seconds But these engines were not very well suited to tough conditions and were very likely to fail or cause a problem when used roughly.
So in order to ensure that the car runs absolutely fine in the tough conditions which were required by the movie, the engine of the particular car in the movie was replaced by a Chevrolet V8, so that it could handle all the abuse and stress thanks to its reliable and robust nature.
Inside the Cruella De Ville
The interiors of the Cruella De Vil’s car or the Panther De Ville were complimenting its exterior looks, that is contemporary and vintage. Most of the cars had brown interior treatment all around with leather being used on doors and seats although a lot of it could be customized according to the needs of the owner.
Apart from that, there were normal switches for all the controls like the infotainment, lights, and other things. Talking of features, the Panther got a lot of fancy features like colored televisions, ice-maker, and even car telephones which were very new at that time. Well, all these customization and features were expected at this price point.
The exteriors of the Cruella De Ville
The Cruella de Vil’s Panther was a head-turner and had proper vintage car looks consisting of fender flares that arch back towards the ends and had a spare spoked wheel mounted at the rear.
Although the particular car had special black and white body paint for the requirement of the movie, the car was easily noticeable on the road thanks to the long hood and distinguished looks. But it was not the designers of Panther who initially thought of this design and they were not the first ones to come up with this type of design iteration.
The Panther De Ville found its huge design inspiration from the Bugatti Royale which was also one of the most expensive cars built in the past. And not only the design stylings, and the particular body type, be it a convertible or a drop-top two-door, it was also all inspired by the Bugatti. Although the cars were extremely bulky and not aerodynamic at all.
Rarest of the Rare Panthers: Golden eagle
Although each Panther De Ville was different from the others due to the huge customization features which the brand offered, there was a one-of-one rare and the most expensive panther which was a 6-door and had mechanical changes too, like a turbocharger and other features like extra auxiliary headlamps among others. This variant of the Panther De Ville was known as the “Golden Eagle”.
Still available for sale
The Panther De Ville can still be bought if you are an ardent vintage car collector. Although not through auctions or anything like that, you will have to dig deep into the used car sellers to find one in immaculate condition.
Variants and engine options available back then
The original Panther De Ville had a 4.2L straight-6 or a 5.3L V12 engine from Jaguar that served the purpose on most of the cars. The V12 was capable enough to push a top speed of 110 MPH and could do 0-60 MPH in 12 seconds. Also, the one-of-one 6-door De Ville’s had a turbocharger. But if we talk about Cruella De Ville’s car in general, it had a swapped V8 engine from Chevrolet for added robustness.
Most Expensive of its time and how
When the De Ville was in the market in the 1970s, it was the most expensive car of its time, And at that time, it used to rival the Rolls Royce Camargue, and the Camargue was actually cheaper than the De Ville. The most expensive components used in the De Ville were the Jaguar running gear, and the lavish interior setup, and remember, the car was built by hand. So that meant the building cost was sky-high. Apart from that if you add on the customization according to your taste then it would cost you even more!
