This is basically Year Zero for Black Panthers, with Mapex throwing the kitchen sink at the new range; there are 40 models in every conceivable size and shell construction. Their advertising was straight to point on the colours available though, with them paraphrasing Henry Ford's line, "You can have any colour as long as it's black." 

Several models didn't survive very long however, notably all the birch and aluminium shells, and were gone by the 2000 catalogue (when colour was embraced at last!). 

Notes: 

• Most models called "Deluxe", "Master" etc, e.g. Maple Deluxe, Brass Master.
• The Gold Rectangular “Flourish” badge with "Made in Taiwan" appears on all models
• Low-Mass Oval Lugs on all models - described as "Black Panther Lugs" in this catalogue 
• All models have 45° bearing edges.
• Snare wires matched the hardware finish, either 24K gold, chrome or black chrome. 
• Models mostly have the new Orion Standard Strainers (described as “Pneumatic Adjustable Snare Throw-Off”) and Piccolo Strainers (described as “Classic Single Cam Adjustable Snare Throw-Off”) with the exception of the “New” Birch Deluxe and Flat Black Maple Deluxe with Chrome Hardware models which have the older Power Strainer ("Twin Cam Style Throw-Off").
• The Orion Classic kit on the cover of the 1997 catalogue is shown with Gold Rectangular “Flourish” Badges on all the shells. It’s the only Orion in the catalogue that has them – the others inside the catalogue have the later Orion Classic “Sculpted” badges (like the Black Panther “Detail” badge shape).
• The 1997 Mapex catalogue (rather than the Black Panther catalogue) only lists 24 models, all with the new style Pneumatic Throw-Off or the Classic Single Cam. It doesn't mention the older Twin-Cam Throw-Off and omits the Aluminium, Birch and the 8mm Maple and Birdseye Maple models.
• Traditional Maple, Birsdeye Maple and Brass models came with Remo Renaissance heads top and bottom. 
• The ML4808D (14"x8" 8mm Maple shell) was, for some reason, not made available in the USA.