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In the late 1960s, Ford was in need of a high performance GT to combat the likes of Ferrari and Corvette, and assist in generating additional dealership traffic for its mainstream product lines. DeTomaso Automobili was relying on Ford for engines used in the Mangusta and had purchased the Ghia design and coach-building concern. After Ford's failed attempt to purchase Ferrari, the Ford-DeTomaso marriage seemed quite natural, so a business and purchase arrangement was consummated and work began on new mid-engined GT. The new car would be marketed in the U.S. by Ford's Lincoln-Mercury division.
The Pantera is DeTomaso's most significant production car to date, and lived an overall production life of nearly 25 years. It is the model which most people identify with DeTomaso, and completed the company's transition to a volume producer of high perforamnce GTs. The Pantera's layout differed from DeTomaso's prior Mangusta in several fashions. First, it was conceived with a full monocoque chassis layout, as opposed to the prior car's spine chassis design. Secondly, it to be built around Ford's then-new 351 cubic-inch 'Cleveland' V-8. This engine featured deep-breathing heads patterned after the very successful Boss 302 design, 4-barrel carburetion and 4-bolt main bearing caps. The new V-8 was mated to a ZF fully synchronized 5-speed transaxle with a limited slip differential and was rated at 310 horsepower.
While the Pantera persisted in one form or another for many years to come, the example on offer here represents one of the best first-year original design cars available anywhere and at any price. This 1971 Pantera was recently restored by its Phoenix-based vendor on a cost-no-object basis from stem to stern and was just completed in June. Finished in its original 'Victory Red' hue over a new black leather interior, the car was taken down to bare metal inside and out and put back to better than new. Its original 351 'Cleveland' V-8 was professionally built to 408 cubic inches with a billet crankshaft, roller rockers, and much more, then was fitted with an SD & LA Morrison cross-ram EFI manifold and FAST EFI controller, resulting in an amazing 535 horsepower with 548 foot-pounds of torque per the dynamometer. The engine is cranked over by a new high-torque starter and features a 100 amp alternator for efficient and reliable starting and charging. Transferring the power to the freshly-rebuilt and extremely rare ZF1 transmission, a dual-friction Centerforce clutch and flywheel were utilized. On the suspension side, billet-aluminum fully-adjustable shocks, new sport coil springs and super axles were employed for maximum handling and durability under high-stress conditions. GT-5 Wilkinson wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Sport rubber put the power to the pavement with aplomb. Much more has been omitted here than has been completed, so a full sheaf of records, receipts and documentation cover the car's immediate history as well as the dedication – a labor of love if ever there was one - that went into its meticulous restoration for you to peruse.
If you've ever lusted for the power, reliability and performance of a bulletproof American V-8 combined with complementary iconic yet timeless Italian styling that made the Pantera a hit from start to finish, you need look no further than this elegantly-crafted scalpel cum sledgehammer with which to hit the open road.
<< return to results
The Pantera is DeTomaso's most significant production car to date, and lived an overall production life of nearly 25 years. It is the model which most people identify with DeTomaso, and completed the company's transition to a volume producer of high perforamnce GTs. The Pantera's layout differed from DeTomaso's prior Mangusta in several fashions. First, it was conceived with a full monocoque chassis layout, as opposed to the prior car's spine chassis design. Secondly, it to be built around Ford's then-new 351 cubic-inch 'Cleveland' V-8. This engine featured deep-breathing heads patterned after the very successful Boss 302 design, 4-barrel carburetion and 4-bolt main bearing caps. The new V-8 was mated to a ZF fully synchronized 5-speed transaxle with a limited slip differential and was rated at 310 horsepower.
While the Pantera persisted in one form or another for many years to come, the example on offer here represents one of the best first-year original design cars available anywhere and at any price. This 1971 Pantera was recently restored by its Phoenix-based vendor on a cost-no-object basis from stem to stern and was just completed in June. Finished in its original 'Victory Red' hue over a new black leather interior, the car was taken down to bare metal inside and out and put back to better than new. Its original 351 'Cleveland' V-8 was professionally built to 408 cubic inches with a billet crankshaft, roller rockers, and much more, then was fitted with an SD & LA Morrison cross-ram EFI manifold and FAST EFI controller, resulting in an amazing 535 horsepower with 548 foot-pounds of torque per the dynamometer. The engine is cranked over by a new high-torque starter and features a 100 amp alternator for efficient and reliable starting and charging. Transferring the power to the freshly-rebuilt and extremely rare ZF1 transmission, a dual-friction Centerforce clutch and flywheel were utilized. On the suspension side, billet-aluminum fully-adjustable shocks, new sport coil springs and super axles were employed for maximum handling and durability under high-stress conditions. GT-5 Wilkinson wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Sport rubber put the power to the pavement with aplomb. Much more has been omitted here than has been completed, so a full sheaf of records, receipts and documentation cover the car's immediate history as well as the dedication – a labor of love if ever there was one - that went into its meticulous restoration for you to peruse.
If you've ever lusted for the power, reliability and performance of a bulletproof American V-8 combined with complementary iconic yet timeless Italian styling that made the Pantera a hit from start to finish, you need look no further than this elegantly-crafted scalpel cum sledgehammer with which to hit the open road.
<< return to results
