To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' The
Petersen Automotive Museum Auction event, 8 December 2018.
Estimate:
$120,000 - $160,000
- Only 4,818 original miles
- Offered from single-family ownership for 40 years
- Pristine original cosmetic condition, including paint and
interior
- Retains its original engine and many original stamping and
markings, as well as its original glass and Goodyear Arriva
tires
- Recently mechanically recommissioned
The De Tomaso Pantera was built in Italy but sold largely through
Lincoln-Mercury dealers in the U.S. with a full factory warranty.
It combined Ford's dead-reliable 351 Cleveland V-8 and
American-style comforts - including power windows and air
conditioning - with such European performance features as a ZF
transaxle, power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes, and
rack-and-pinion steering. Simply put, it was the best of both
possible sports car worlds, and it cost considerably less than a
comparable Ferrari or Lamborghini.
Several different variations of the Pantera were produced over the
years. The one that Americans instantly recognize is the
second-generation Pantera L, or Lusso ("Luxury"), which
incorporated several detail changes for the U.S. market. Most
notably, the Pantera L was significantly better built than earlier
examples, a fact recognized and lauded by the automotive press of
the time. Today, the Pantera is widely heralded as the improbable
idea that both Detroit and Turin got right and as one of the
definitive and instantly recognizable supercars of the decade that
birthed the category.
The current owner's family acquired this Pantera L from Mark Sertl
of Manchester, Missouri, in 1978, and have since maintained it in
their collection for the past 40 years, carefully garaged alongside
other fine sports cars and Full Classics. The car has been gently
recommissioned mechanically, returning it to running and driving
order, but is in cosmetically pristine order, including magnificent
original paint, a near-mint interior, and what are believed to be
the original Goodyear Arriva tires.
The original serial and body number tags are intact, as is the
sticker on the air cleaner, and the original stampings are clear
and correct throughout. Missouri safety inspection stickers are
still on the Climaglass windshield, and a particularly poignant
note is the Sears service tag inside one of the doors. Accompanying
the car is the original jack and tool bag, as well as the original
owner's manual. At the time of cataloguing, the car recorded only
4,818 miles, almost certainly the original figure as corresponding
to the 1978 title.
This is among the most original Pantera Ls offered in many years
and would be an ideal addition to any collection favoring these
extraordinary Blue Oval-powered supercars.To view this car and
others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM
website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/ca18.
