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WaterCar heritage

The WaterCar Panther

The amphibious car the world met, told by the company that designed and built it. This is the official story of the Panther: what it was, why it became a legend, how it worked and where it sits in the WaterCar family.

A white WaterCar Panther running at speed on the ocean while a dolphin leaps beside it
An original WaterCar Panther at speed on the Pacific.

What is the WaterCar Panther?

The WaterCar Panther is an amphibious car designed and built by WaterCar in Fountain Valley, California. It drives on the road like a car, drives straight into the water, lifts its wheels and runs as a jet boat. No trailer and no launch crew.

Founder Dave March and the WaterCar team launched the Panther in 2013 after 14 years of development. It was WaterCar’s first production vehicle, and it is the one that carried the WaterCar name around the world.

  • About 80 mphon land
  • 44 to 45 mphon water
  • Under 15 secondsfrom road to water
  • Four seatsopen top

Launch-era figures for the original Panther. Every Panther was hand-built, so individual vehicles varied.

The original Panther is a heritage model. WaterCar no longer builds it. Today WaterCar builds a new generation, the Adventure and the Signature, shaped by everything the Panther taught us.

Why did the Panther become a legend?

It was a real boat, not a car that floats

The Panther began with a 1961 Amphicar that Dave March restored with his son. On the water it was slow, and that showed the compromise built into earlier amphibious cars. The Amphicar’s published water speed was roughly 7 mph. The Panther was built to reach 44 to 45 mph.

It looked like pure fun

Open top, off-road stance, room for four and a jet of water behind it. WaterCar called it the most fun vehicle on the planet, and the film of it has been watched more than 7 million times on YouTube.

Watch the Panther film on YouTube →

The world’s press came to drive it

The Panther was featured by Jay Leno’s Garage, Top Gear, Forbes and MrBeast. Fox News covered the launch in June 2013, the New York Daily News test drove it that July, and CNBC’s Secret Lives of the Super Rich featured a Panther in 2018.

Dubai

Gulf News reported that two Panthers performed on the beach at Palm Jumeirah during the Dubai Motor Festival, and that the pair belonged to Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. Arabian Business reported an order for six.

Catalina

In 2014 a Panther crossed the open Pacific to Catalina Island.

How did the WaterCar Panther work?

The Panther was not a car made watertight. It was engineered as a car and a boat in one system.

One engine, two paths

The original Panther used a rear-mounted 3.7-liter V6, identified in reports of the time as a Honda (Acura) engine of about 305 horsepower. On land it drove the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission. On water a transfer case sent the same power to the Panther jet drive.

Wheels that get out of the way

Road wheels create drag in water. The Panther’s hydraulic suspension lifted all four wheels clear of the water in under eight seconds, so the hull could run cleanly.

A hull first

The body was a fiberglass hull filled with closed-cell flotation foam, carried on a chromoly steel chassis. Reports of the time listed the Panther at about 2,950 pounds.

From road to water

  1. Drive down the ramp or beach and into the water.
  2. Let the hull float and put the road transmission in neutral.
  3. Engage the transfer case for the jet drive.
  4. Retract the wheels.
  5. Drive away as a boat.

The whole change took under 15 seconds.

Original Panther, launch-era figures

Land speedAbout 80 mph
Water speed44 to 45 mph, depending on source
EngineRear-mounted 3.7-liter V6, about 305 hp
Road driveRear wheels, four-speed manual
Water drivePanther jet drive
Road to waterUnder 15 seconds
Wheel retractionUnder 8 seconds
ConstructionChromoly steel chassis, fiberglass hull
WeightAbout 2,950 lb
SeatsFour

These are representative launch-era figures, not a specification for every Panther. Later Panthers were built with other engines and equipment. For one vehicle’s details, see Panther specs and price history.

Is the Panther an amphibious Jeep?

People often call the Panther the Jeep boat or the amphibious Jeep, and it is easy to see why. Its open-top, off-road look was inspired by the Jeep CJ family.

Underneath, it was never a converted Jeep. WaterCar built the Panther from the ground up around a watertight hull, flotation, a marine jet drive, retracting wheels, marine cooling and bilge systems. A road vehicle has none of those. The look is familiar. The engineering is a boat’s.

Jeep is a trademark of its owner. WaterCar is not affiliated with Jeep.

Where the Panther sits in the WaterCar family

WaterCar was founded by Dave March, and every machine carried the lessons of the one before it. The Panther is the fourth of six.

  • The Sports CarThe first prototype. It proved the idea could move.
  • The GatorA rugged, go-anywhere take on the idea.
  • The PythonSet a Guinness World Record as the fastest amphibious vehicle.
  • The PantherThe one the world met.
  • The H1The aluminum lesson that made today’s boat possible.
  • Today’s WaterCarAluminum hull, electric road drive and a Mercury outboard.

See all six machines Read the WaterCar story →

The Panther today

Original Panthers are now collector vehicles. They appear at collector car auctions such as Bring a Trailer and Barrett-Jackson, and from time to time directly from WaterCar.

WaterCar is offering Panthers from the founder’s personal collection, each sold individually.

See Panthers for sale

Researching one? Read Panther specs and price history.

Looking for a new WaterCar? Explore Adventure and Signature, or compare the models.

A green 2018 WaterCar Panther from the founder’s personal collection
A 2018 Panther from the founder’s personal collection.

Quick answers

Who built the WaterCar Panther?

WaterCar. Founder Dave March and the WaterCar team developed it in Fountain Valley, California, and launched it in 2013 after 14 years of development.

Is WaterCar still in business?

Yes. WaterCar is in business in Southern California and builds a new generation of WaterCars today, the Adventure and the Signature. Some older articles say the company closed. That is not correct.

Is the WaterCar Panther still made?

No. The original Panther is a heritage model and WaterCar no longer builds it. Original Panthers appear as collector and pre-owned vehicles.

How fast is the WaterCar Panther?

Launch-era figures are about 80 mph on land and 44 to 45 mph on water. Each Panther was hand-built, so individual vehicles varied.

Is the WaterCar Panther a Jeep?

No. Its styling was inspired by the Jeep CJ family, but WaterCar built it from the ground up as an amphibious vehicle with its own hull, chassis and jet drive.

Where can I buy a WaterCar Panther?

WaterCar offers Panthers from the founder’s personal collection, each sold individually. Original Panthers also appear at collector car auctions.

Panthers for sale → · Ask a question →

Sources and press

Writing about the Panther? Visit Press & Media or contact WaterCar for photographs and facts.