1971 De Tomaso Pantera
In the pantheon of European-American hybrid vehicles, few are as iconic as those built by De Tomaso. The appealing combination of European design and handling with American power began to be explored in the 1950s, but really hit the mainstream in the 1960s with the Iso Grifo and the achingly beautiful De Tomaso Mangusta. The Mangusta’s replacement, the Pantera, would become one of the most successful Euro-American hybrids of all time.
Beginning with a state of the art steel monocoque and fully independent suspension by Dallara which corrected the Mangusta’s challenging handling, the Pantera was revolutionary from the inside out. The aggressive, angular shape was penned by the American-born Tom Tjaarda for Ghia, who was responsible for constructing the bodies of the Pantera. Intended as an alternative to Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Maserati, the Pantera burst onto the scene with gusto that shocked the competition, outperforming many of its contemporaries. With continuous updates occurring after its 1970 introduction, De Tomaso kept the Pantera competitive with offerings from Ferrari and Lamborghini until it was replaced by the all-new Guara in 1993.
The Cultivated Collector’s 1971 Pantera, Chassis number 02238 is an example of the great potential offered by these exhilarating cars. Updated to GT5 body specification, including the iconic delta wing, Campagnolo GT5 wheels, finished in a fetching deep black paint with mirror-like sheen applied in 2019, with all aspects of the car finished to an extremely high standard, this Pantera is as beautiful as it is menacing.
The beautiful and aggressive look of 02238 is backed up by a monstrous 351ci Ford Cleveland V8, fed by an 8-stack Weber carburetor array developed by induction expert Jim Iglese, singing an exotic soundtrack through 180-degree headers and center exit mufflers. A built 5-speed manual ZF Transaxle delivers the mountain of power to the ground. Tasteful updates to 02238 were performed during the 2019 reconditioning which include: Dynamat insulation, five-point harnesses, fire suppression system, Wilwood Superlite disc brakes at all four corners, an aluminum radiator with dual electric fans, new wiring and a later style fuse panel. In exquisite condition throughout, The Cultivated Collector’s 1971 De Tomaso Pantera is ready to turn heads and delight senses.
