For Sale: 1972 DeTomaso Pantera in Halton Hills, Ontario

1972 DeTomaso Pantera For Sale - 1 Of 87 in Lime Green, 17,772 Miles, Fully Doc'd LMC is proud to offer for sale this 1972 Ford DeTomaso Pantera The Pantera (Italian for "Panther") was a mid-engine sports car produced by DeTomaso of Modena, Italy from 1971 to 1991. 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 De Tomaso continued to build the car in ever-escalating forms of performance and luxury. The Pantera, with outlandish looks and strong performance were quite a sight in the Mercury showrooms back in the early �70's. For a variety of reasons, the Pantera, while gorgeous and capable, never quite caught on the way Ford had planned. However, today there is a huge interest as collectors realize the relative simplicity of the Ford V-8 engine that make the Pantera generally more reliable and much less expensive to maintain than their Italian cousins of similar vintage. The Pantera with the Ford 351 cu.-in. Cleveland, 5.8L in today's terms, had the factory claim of 330 horsepower. Back in the day, DeTomaso was said to have made only one modification: a special exhaust system that reportedly gave an extra 10-20 horsepower that brought it up to the factory claim. Stock dynos over the years proved the power was more like 380 HP. The Cleveland was linked to the typical period Italian exoticar with the ZF five-speed transaxle-limited-slip differential. The early Pantera could accelerate to 60mph in 5.5 seconds according to Car and Driver magazine and had a maximum speed of 159mph. Power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes and rack and pinion steering were standard equipment helping to control the sports car with a 42/58 weight distribution. The other handling assistance came from the unequal width tires front and back not to mention how awesome those wide tires on the back were for the visual stance of the Pantera. The interior design was in the European �grand touring' tradition and featured body-hugging sports-car buckets. This 1972 Ford DeTomaso Pantera was produced May 1971 in Vignale Italy and is magnificent in the very bold factory Lime Green; one of only 87 ever finished in this factory color. Today, this beautiful Pantera sits proudly having been pampered by previous owners as evidenced by the condition inside and out, having covered only 17,772 miles from new. The distinctive front end design of these early Pantera's is very sleek with small chrome outside Bumperettes that have been joined by a thin chrome bar across the center - very different looking than the black molded impact required bumpers on cars that followed this model year. All the chrome and stainless are in great condition. Under the back hatch style hood sits the big blue Ford 351 Cleveland with the factory exhaust header that propels this Italian sports car. The race-inspired road hugging suspension, the rear/mid-engine and rear wheel drive provides the driver with great handling. Power is directed by the gated fully synchronized ZF 5-Speed Manual Transmission to the distinctive factory Campagnolo alloy cast wheels that are mounted on the BW Goodyear Eagle Tires. The Black interior is in very good condition with comfortable hugging Bucket Seats/Headrests within a roomy two-seater compartment. Interior is certainly a cockpit design that features full instrumentation including Power Windows. The bright chrome accents a well laid out Black Dash with gauges that are nicely angled for driver convenience. The �Cleveland sound' comes from the four chrome exhaust pipes out the back. These Pantera's also have a surprisingly large amount of storage in both the front compartment and under the rear hatch style hood. This car comes complete with; Full Marti Report, odometer disclosure statement, and a copy of old "actual mile" title from Pennsylvania. Today the Pantera is certainly generating excitement amongst a wide cross section of car collectors. The reason is simple, this 1972 Green Pantera delivers the qualities of both an Italian Sports Car design and the 351 Cleveland American Muscle, generating the road handling excitement. Additional Details: 1972 DE TOMASO PANTERA -