1974 DeTomaso Pantera

The Pantera, Italian for “Panther,” was a mid-engine sports car produced by DeTomaso of Modena, Italy, from 1971 to 1992. The Pantera logo included a version of Argentina's flag with a T-shaped symbol that was the brand used by DeTomaso's Argentinian cattle ranching ancestors. The car was designed at the request of Ford’s Lee Iacocca for the North American market to replace the Shelby Cobra at specially selected Lincoln/Mercury dealerships. After the Ford agreement ended in 1974, DeTomaso continued to build and market the car in ever-escalating forms of performance and luxury.

The Pantera, with outlandish looks and strong performance, was quite a sight in the Mercury showrooms back in the early ‘70s. For a variety of reasons, the Pantera, while gorgeous and capable, never quite caught on the way Ford had planned; however, there is a huge interest today as collectors realize the relative simplicity of the Ford V-8 engine that makes the Pantera generally more reliable and much less expensive to maintain than its Italian cousins of similar vintage. Panteras were specified with the Ford 351 CI Cleveland V-8, which had an underrated factory claim of 330 HP. The DeTomaso-designed special exhaust system reportedly gave an extra 10-20 HP, and actual stock dynos over the years proved the power was much closer to 380 HP. The Cleveland was linked to the typical period Italian exoticar with the ZF 5-speed transaxle and limited-slip differential.

The early Pantera could accelerate to 60 MPH in 5.5 seconds, according to Car and Driver magazine, and had a maximum speed of 159 MPH. Power-assisted 4-wheel disc brakes, double wishbone suspension and rack-and-pinion steering were standard equipment, with a 42/58 weight distribution. To aid the handling, assistance came from the unequal-width tires front and back, not to mention the visual stance those wide rear tires gave the Pantera. The interior design was in the European grand-touring tradition and featured body-hugging sports car bucket seats.

Documented by its Marti Report, this is one of only 151 ever produced finished with the Code 4 Red exterior. This DeTomaso Pantera was assembled in October 1973 in Vignale, Italy, shipped to Norwalk, Connecticut, and sold new on April 30, 1974. This beautiful Pantera sits proudly with great presence, having been well cared for and maintained since new. Under the back-hatch style hood sits the matching-numbers Ford 351 Cleveland V-8

directed by the 5-speed ZF manual transmission. The engine has been upgraded with a Jim Inglese Weber-style fuel injection system for better driveability and performance.

The Pantera is certainly generating excitement amongst a wide cross-section of car collectors as a stable investment. The reasoning is the same as in 1974: the Pantera delivers the qualities of an Italian sports car design coupled with the reliability and awesome note of American muscle.