Ford-Powered Exotic! 1972 De Tomaso Pantera
Like a life-sized Hot Wheels car, the DeTomaso Pantera can make grown adults say things like “Vroom! Vroom!” and “Try and catch me, copper!” The Italian-bodied mid-engine exotic boasts what might be called an advantage over other Italian supercars: its Ford V8 can be kept alive in stock or modified form for pennies on the dollar compared to a Ferrari V8. Even when entry level Ferraris were under $30,000, the rule of thumb was $5000 per year to keep it on the road. Triple that today. According to the seller, this 1972 DeTomaso Pantera in Costa Mesa, California, comes with its original engine and records dating to 1977. Take a look or cast a bid here on eBay where at least eight bidders have the Blue Gray Metallic beauty’s value over $50,000 without meeting the seller’s reserve.
The original black interior recalls numerous sporty cars from the ’70s, with a decidedly Italian metal gated shift plate. The seller owned this Pantera for over 10 years and the car gained some new parts in preparation for sale. Some pictures could be better but showing the driver’s seat (regardless of condition) shows class, and this seat looks barely touched.
Few will mistake this for anything not Italian, and only a gearhead will distinguish a Pantera from other contemporary Italians at a distance. This ’72 model slipped in before larger black bumpers sullied the face of this Italian-American classic.
Ford’s much-revered 351 cid (5.8L) “Cleveland” V8 features high-flowing cylinder heads and can be built to crazy horsepower. However, the five-speed manual ZF transaxle or IRS (Independent Rear Suspension) axles might sometimes object. Everything’s clean and tidy on this 52-year-old sports car, ready for long tenure at a new home.
The subdued paint will turn heads in a row of primary-color Italians. Don’t worry; nobody will mistake this low-flying mid-engine missile for a Camry or a kit car. While most Pantera owners limit their exploration of the car’s capabilities to an occasional stab of the throttle or on-ramp blast, these potent performers can run with the big dogs on a road course if you’ve got the talent and reflexes to wring them out. Does this Pantera’s factory Ford V8 make it less of a supercar, or simply a smart buy?
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Comments
I’ll stick to my White 1986 Ford Escort
1.9 with 4 speed.
I’m a Ford man, so I like escort’s, but REAL escort’s, as in RWD RS’s, not a front wheel drive POS.
As for a De Tomaso Pantera? Hell yeah, any day over any escort.
Can you afford the Pantera?
Yes I can, but I want a right hand drive one. Because I’m in Australia.
And thank God we never got those POS front wheel drive escort’s here.
We have quite a large collection of Aussie muscle cars, a few Classic BWM’s, a few Merc’s and a few hipo bikes, what do you own?????
Record = Broken.
Come up with something new, man.
I like it, but no budget with kids.
I’ve always liked the Panteras and can remember when they weren’t unbelievably expensive.
BTW Todd the driver in your linked video is smooth, effortlessly passing some really nice sport cars.
Love it! Saw a beautiful black one, same year, while visiting Grass Valley, CA, just this past Saturday. Looked and sounded awesome! If one of you was driving that, you’re a lucky man!!!
Cali car or not must have a good PPI possibly of a can of worms. Even if “redone”
I still remember the first Pantera I ever saw. Sitting on a used car lot, I was maybe 17 and flabbergasted to say the least. It was yellow, and how I wish I could have grabbed it up back then.
in 1979 i was able to buy a 72 Pantera for 4k. it was wrecked and need some suspension replaced. Guy ran over a parking curb at 40mph. So the wheels and tires needed replacing too. I had 4k in parts and drove it for 2 yrs. While gassing up a guy in a 72 Carrera pulled up next to me and offered me a number i couldn’t refuse. Now.. i wish i has refused it. Fast forward till 2009.. my cousin called and told me that he bought my old car! he is in the process of
updating what needed updated but mostly leaving it as original as possible. He paid 60k for it and lets me drive it when i go visit him.
this would have been 78/79 as well, but I was a kid with a 71 Celica, and a part time job, so I didn’t even try to buy the one I saw, I didn’t even graduate high school until 1980
Cool story with an even cooler ending!
I remember drooling over pictures of these, and seeing them advertised at a Seattle Lincoln/Mercury dealer for $9995. (1972) I knew that was a smokin’ deal, and I had worked all through H.S., so I actually had about 1/2 the price in the bank: but it was still a bridge too far.
Now I’m turning 70, and I’d prob’ly need a Hoyer Lift to get me in and out of it. Seems problematic.
This could have been Ford’s Corvette. And carried through the ages. Too dumb to know too stupid to care.
While distributed by Lincoln/Mercury, and had a Ford engine, the car was a de Tomaso product made in their factory in Italy. They made all decisions regarding its production, successor cars, etc. Ford just happily supplied the engines for a while. It could never have been “Ford’s Corvette” because it was never a Ford.
I was thinking of one of these when they were $30k if we’ll maintained. Kids and things took precedent. Now I can think about them again. But I’d need help getting out too!
What a blast.. watching that is like you’re sitting right next to the driver. I kept wanting to hit the brakes going into the corners but I would’ve done it WAY before he did. Thanks for posting that.
I bought a ’72 in 1980. Not really abused w/49K miles on it. Had some rust and both head gaskets leaking. Big square-edged white letter tires. Had a pro build me a helluva engine for $5K, Recaros, bodywork & paint. It owned the Orlando roads for a good 15 years. It never did not need something fixed on it, and my mechanic was THE Pantera guy in the area and owned one himself. I had more in that car than what most of them are selling for now. Sold in ’02. It was the big gorilla and pulled like a freight train. 5th gear from 120 was hilarious. NO DOWNSHIFT. (you can make a 351 Cleveland run) My wife hated it…not because she was skeered, but because of the stacks of Franklins that kept flying out of my wallet. I miss it about 15 minutes per year.
Whenever I see a Pantera I think of Tim Horton. The line about daring the cops to catch you is a lot more ironic than the author probably realizes.
Whenever I see a Pantera I think of Tim Horton. The author’s quip about daring the cops to catch you is a lot more ironic than they probably realise.
Although I love the Mangusta more, the first two year Pantera would be a nice touch and this one seems pretty nice.
Bidding ended on Fri, May 17 at 3:30 PM.
US $70,800.00
85 bids
Reserve not met