Vehicle Description
1974 DeTomaso Pantera: When Alejandro DeTomaso retired from race
car driving he turned to car manufacturing, and by the late 1960s
had given the world the bug-like 4-cylinder Vallelunga and the
radical V8 Mangusta coupes�aesthetically interesting and competent
road cars. In the meantime, Ford had been seeking to acquire an
exotic car company, and they landed on DeTomaso's doorstep. The
radical Mangusta was interesting in concept but not quite right for
the American market, but the car DeTomaso had in the works was�the
Pantera. The car debuted at the New York Auto Show in 1970, and
with Ford's backing, the plan was to import 10,000, to be sold at
Lincoln-Mercury dealerships around the country. Styling for the
Pantera came courtesy of the young Tom Tjaarda at Ghia, and the
crisp lines and long snout sat atop a pressed-steel unit chassis,
while its off-the-shelf 310-hp, 351-ci "Cleveland" V8 was situated
midship and paired with a 5-speed ZF transaxle. Weight distribution
was predictably biased toward the rear, 150 mph was not out of the
question, and the car came with amenities like air conditioning,
which American buyers demanded. A luxury model, the Pantera L (for
Lusso), arrived for 1972 with unique bumpers, a finned panel over
the fuel filler, and several other cosmetic upgrades. Quality
control improved, though the V8 was revised ahead of the 1973 model
year with a power-stifling lower compression ratio aimed at meeting
emissions standards. Pointy black bumpers arrived as well. DeTomaso
also built a Euro-spec GTS model in 1973, which featured special
badging and a high-compression V8, boasting 350 hp and a top speed
of over 170 mph. Ford pulled the plug on the program after 1974,
when fewer than 6,000 Panteras had been sold. -Vehicle is on
consignment and at our clients home -Please Call First and talk to
a rep at 231-468-2809 EXT 1 -Showroom is by appointment only Please
Call -If you would like a FREE Listing please visit our consignment
page or Call