De Tomaso Pantera

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Argentine-born Alejandro de Tomaso entered the car business in 1959, setting up a factory in Modena, Italy, from where he initially concentrated on race car development, including producing a Formula One car for Frank Williams in 1970.

From 1963 he also produced a range of luxury tourers and sports cars, including the Vallelunga, Mangusta, Longchamp and Deauville. The Pantera was launched in 1971 using a steel monocoque chassis designed by Gian Paolo Dallara who had previously designed the Williams F1 car for De Tomaso and was also chief designer for Lamborghini. The striking styling was the work of the prolific Tom Tjaarda, chief stylist at Ghia and responsible for numerous innovative cars for the likes of Fiat, Lancia, Ford and Chevrolet.

A proper supercar, the mid-engined Pantera was powered by a 5.8-litre Ford Cleveland V8 conservatively rated at 330bhp but closer to 380bhp when properly set up and capable of considerably more with specialist tuning. Mated to a ZF all-synchro five-speed transaxle, it could fling the Pantera to 60mph in 5.5 seconds with a top speed of 145mph – 175mph depending on which of the three factory axle ratios was selected. So prodigious was the torque that it could pull away in any gear.

Suspension was competition specification double wishbone/coil spring all round with powerful disc brakes at each corner. From 1972 the car was detuned to 248bhp to meet tighter emissions regulations in the US market, but European models were unaffected.

The Pantera was to remain in limited production for 21 years, getting ever more outlandish as time went on, sprouting wings, flared arches, air vents and fatter bumpers. A total of 7,260 had been sold by the time production came to an end in 1992, virtually all of them left-hand drive.

First registered in Barcelona in January 1973, this particular Pantera has the pure, unadorned lines of the early cars and had just two Spanish owners before it was acquired by the vendor just over 20 years ago. An Englishman living in Mallorca, he used the car only sparingly for the first few years and in 1998 it was sent to England for a thorough overhaul by De Tomaso specialist Dick Puxty of Emilia Concessionaires, Silverstone. The engine (which is the original unit) was fully rebuilt with new pistons etc, the bodywork was restored and repainted and any other issues attended to. On completion the car was driven back to Mallorca where it was to remain until very recently, being little used and mainly kept in storage.

Brought back to the UK last year, the car has been thoroughly prepared for sale including a full service; full brake overhaul (including new front calipers, master cylinder, pads, pipes etc); new heavy duty clutch kit; rebuilt Holley carb; new fuel pump; new rear anti-roll bar bushes; new driver’s side window mechanism (both electric windows now operating as they should) etc.

Since the engine was rebuilt the car has only covered around 2,000 miles and it is said to be in good, rust-free condition throughout and to drive well with everything working as it should apart from the air conditioning which will need re-gassing. Still on its distinctive Barcelona number plates, it has not yet been UK-registered although it does have Spanish registration documents.

A very original ‘matching numbers’ Pantera with just three owners from new that has spent most of its life in storage in a dry climate, it is now ready for a new owner to enjoy. As dramatic as any Lamborghini or Ferrari but far less temperamental and with a plentiful supply of cheap mechanical parts readily available from America, it looks a most tempting prospect at the modest guide price suggested.