1972 DeTomaso Pantera
The De Tomaso Pantera (Italian for “Panther”) was the first attempt at blending Italian body-styling with American muscle. The car was designed by the Italian design firm Ghia by an American-born designer, Tom Tjaarda.
Classic Italian exotics are always popular and desirable cars, but they are rarely easy to live with and can be very expensive to maintain with their complex and sometimes fragile Italian engines. This is why the Pantera is so popular now. You have the late 60’s Italian styling, the advantages of a mid-engine design, power and low cost maintenance of the famous Ford 351 Cleveland.
This 1972 DeTomaso Pantera was delivered new to Ford Motor Company in Troy, Michigan as a pool vehicle and is finished in yellow over black vinyl. Power comes from a 351ci Cleveland V8 paired with a ZF five-speed manual gearbox.
DeTomaso-stamped Campagnolo 15″ wheels are said to be wider than factory and are mounted with Mastercraft Avenger G/T tires measuring 225/50 up front and 295/50 out back. Stopping power is provided by four-wheel disc brakes. The suspension is said to have been rebuilt with a replacement steering rack, front and rear A-arms, hub bearings, half-shalt U-joints, and ball joints.
The cabin features seating upholstered in black vinyl with “snakeskin” inserts and matching carpets and trim. Equipment includes air conditioning, power windows, seatbelts, a push-button AM/FM/cassette stereo, and a gated shifter. Interior refurbishment to have included installing a replacement headliner, dash window switches, seat covers, carpets, and mouse hair sound deadening material in the front and rear compartments. The three-spoke steering wheel fronts Veglia instrumentation including a 200-mph speedometer, a tachometer with a 5,900-rpm redline, and gauges monitoring fuel level, coolant temperature, voltage, and oil pressure reside in the center stack.
Fly in for an inspection and test drive, this is a stunning Pantera in a very elegant yellow on black combo that offers a lot of bang for the buck and will not disappoint.
Designed by Tom Tjaarda while working at Ghia, the Pantera offered people handsomely exotic styling and the performance of a world-class exotic sports car at a fraction of the cost. The midmounted Ford engine offered spectacularly reliable performance with effortless power, while the midengine chassis design allowed for unmatched handling. The entire package delivered a driving experience like few others. Finding an original Pre-L is often considered akin to spotting the Loch Ness Monster, and this is one sighting you won’t want to miss.
