Kellison J6 Panther - The True Story Behind This Forgotten American Muscle Car - gallery

To this day, the Chevy Corvette is a great basis for projects

But in the early 1960s, the Kellison J6 Panther was the ultimate Corvette-based kit car

A fiberglass body inspired by aircraft

Its creator, Air Force engineer, James Kellison, wanted to make the Corvette as "slippery" as possible

The last of the J series

The J6 Panther was preceeded by 5 other versions, all of which relatively similar, but with different body styles and dimensions

The Kellison bodies could be mounted on a few generations of the Corvette

Originally, the bodies were designed to fit over C1 and C2 running gear. They could also be put over a C3 chassis

Nowadays, it's hard to find one with the original engine

While most of the J6 Panthers are believed to have come with a 327 small-block, various examples have been restored with different engines

While a Muncie M20-series 4-speed manual was a common sight, the 3-speed TH400 automatic was also available

While still, very much, a sports car, the J6 was designed with more legroom in mind and had a higher roofline, compared to the J4, of which it was an evolution

Insane power-to-weight ratio

With at least 300 hp from factory and a dry weight of 1,840 lbs, the J6 would have been much quicker than a Corvette

The most mass-produced of the J series

Over 500 of the J6 Panther kits are said to have been sold

Swipe up for more details on the aircraft-inspired Kellison J6 Panther