To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Monterey event, 15 - 17
August 2019.
Estimate:
$275,000 - $325,000
- Extremely rare; one of only 41 built
- Final iteration of the famed Pantera, designed by Marcello
Gandini
- Documented history from initial purchase
- Showing just 26,000 original miles
Argentinian racing driver Alejandro de Tomaso founded the De Tomaso
car company in Modena, Italy, in 1959. De Tomaso originally built
automotive prototypes and race cars, but in 1963 he turned his
attention to high-performance sports cars. The most successful of
these was the Pantera, a mid-engine Ford-powered sports car meant
to rival De Tomaso's Italian counterparts.
The Pantera was designed by the Italian firm Ghia and a team led by
American-born designer Tom Tjaarda. The mid-engine Pantera coupe
debuted in Modena in 1970 and was then displayed at the New York
Motor Show. In 1971 it was on the market in the U.S. and Europe,
with just over 1,000 cars sent stateside its first year. The sleek
Pantera, with its low profile and flowing lines, featured a
hand-built Vignale body and steel monocoque-design chassis.
The Pantera was refined over the years with the GT5 and GT5-S
examples, but in 1990 De Tomaso commissioned a complete redesign
and re-engineering of the car with the introduction of the Pantera
Si. Moving away from Ghia, De Tomaso commissioned Marcello Gandini
to restyle the car. Gandini, known for his work on the Lancia
Stratos and Lamborghini's Miura, Countach, and Diablo models, gave
the Si a contemporary look. De Tomaso also gave the Pantera a
lighter chassis, modified the suspension, and installed a new
engine�a 5.0-liter, 305 horsepower Ford Mustang V-8. It featured
electronic fuel injection and modified cylinder heads, intake
manifolds, camshafts, valves, and pistons mated to the five-speed
ZF manual transmission. The Pantera reportedly could top out at
over 150 mph and was equipped with four-wheel ventilated and
drilled disc brakes with Brembo calipers that were shared with the
Ferrari F40.
A victim of the weak market in the early 1990s, just 41 Pantera Si
models were built. Two were used for crash testing, and one was
reserved for the De Tomaso museum. As such, only 38 were sold to
the public, of which four were converted to Targas. Purportedly
only 31 coupes have survived. The Pantera Si offered here is one of
those few, as well as being the first Si to be offered at public
auction.
While the original Pantera was hugely successful in North America,
where it sold over 5,000 of the 7,260 built, the Pantera Si was
never offered into North America. This example was originally made
for the European market and was purchased new by its first owner in
Germany, where it stayed until 2002. It was then sold to a Swedish
collector, who held it until 2007 before selling it to a fellow
countryman. The current owner bought the car in 2016 and
transported it to the U.S. Once stateside, the Pantera was fully
serviced and driven sparingly�the odometer shows 26,000 miles.
The De Tomaso has not been modified from stock with the exception
of the engine block, which was painted while in Sweden. In 2016 the
Pantera was repainted in its original Rosso Corsa. The interior is
fresh with beige leather upholstery. The trim and instrument panel
are burled wood. Gauges and switches operate properly. A binder
complete with service records and documentation accompanies the
car.
This Pantera Si is a beautifully preserved and drivable original.
One of the rarest cars from the 1990s, commissioned by De Tomaso
and designed by Gandini, it is a pedigreed and striking example of
Italian car engineering and design, and a worthwhile addition to
any sophisticated sports car collection.
Please note that due to California emissions, this vehicle must be
sold to a dealer or out-of-state resident.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/mo19.
