Vehicle Description
To be OFFERED AT AUCTION at Auctions America's Fort Lauderdale
event, March 31-2, 2017.
Chassis No.
874LTHPNBM09298
Estimate:
$175,000 - $225,000 US
When Road & Track magazine got their hands on the Pantera GT5, the
reaction to the car prompted them to write the byline, "the Pantera
is back in America, with a vengeance." The car does have an air of
facelift to it, but when the engine turns over and fires to life
the remembrance of the classic V-8 powerplants of the era lets you
know that life is indeed good. The progression through the gears
and the booming response takes you back to the days of the real
Can-Am and Trans-Am series', the V-8 special builds from when
racing was conducted on airport courses and the generation of
enthusiasts inspired by the top fuel and funny car power and sounds
from a possibly misguided youth of automobile addictions.
Ford power reliability, show-stopping Italian bodywork and design
and a mid-engine with transaxle layout like a "proper racecar" made
the package an enthusiasts dream. To see such a machine in your
rearview mirror was nearly disbelieving to your eyes; how could a
road-legal car be that streamlined, low and sleek? When the "At a
Glance" section was compiled for quick comparisons, the Pantera GT5
was put against the Ferrari 308 GTB/QV and the Porsche 911
Carrera.
The car's designation came from the FIA Group 5 racing class of
earlier years that allowed you to take a production car, modify the
engine and body panels and then utilize any wheels and tires that
could be stuffed into the area of the extended fenders and
wheelwells. Group 5 had a distinctive look that you could see at Le
Mans or at a regional rally and was a natural choice for a factory
to update a prior design with a then state-of-the art performance
look.
The new bodywork for the GT5 begins with a full front spoiler that
incorporates an intake scoop for a front-mounted oil cooler. This
seamlessly flows into flares over the front wheelwells, down into
the doorsill area and back over the rear wheels in a similar
fashion containing the stoutly proportionate rear wheels. The
impressive rear wing was listed as optional and has certain
stability benefits associated with racecars - though the original
Pantera platform was never questioned for its rear end stability in
its original guise.
Reported as one of less than 300 produced in entirety (one source
says 262), this particular example of Pantera GT5 is an "original,
mint condition and very rare" machine that has had approximately
$85,000 invested in restoration processes. The black with burgundy
toned interior is reported to be an uncommon offering for the car
that is driven by the always impressive 351-cid V-8 engine in a
detailed bay that is connected to a five-speed ZF transaxle that is
manual and operated through the popular and very accurate gated
shifter so commonly associated with Ferrari. Pop-up headlights,
power four-wheel disc brakes, woodgrain dash fascia, air
conditioning, radio, Veglia gauges, power windows and power
steering are also part of the exciting package. Registered in
kilometers, the car shows approximately 21,000-km.
Road & Track summed up their test with the following impression:
"First, the GT5 isn't just a quick car by today's standards. Even
in the late Sixties, when every American factory had at least one
model capable of running at the drags in less than 15 seconds, only
the really radical, as in Dodge Hemi Charger or big-block Corvette
or Cobra, could do a flat 14. The GT5 is one of the quickest cars
ever sold - ever."
