The partnership with Freightliner proved to be highly successful early on, even if a bit unequal. More than 20 engineers are part of the FL team, tasked with the design and development of the chassis. At Rosenbauer, a handful of specialists, such as Helmut Peherstorfer, Erwin Affenzeller, and Rudi Aichinger, oversee the body module, electric system and firefighting equipment, an effective team that astonishes the American partners in the beginning. On the chassis from Freightliner, Rosenbauer builds the first PANTHER FL prototype for the USA in the Wyoming factory.
This is not only a milestone in the history of PANTHER, but also for the company itself, for in 2003, Rosenbauer took over the complete production of the chassis from Freightliner and has been producing them itself in Minnesota ever since. This would have been inconceivable six years prior. Things progress rapidly with the chassis development after the first visit to Portland in March 1997. The finished chassis is transferred over to Minnesota from Portland in the spring, and in August 1998, the first vehicle prototype appears at the conference & expo in Louisville, Kentucky – the PANTHER FL is born.