One Repaint: 1971 DeTomaso Pantera
Said to have just one repaint from new, this 1971 DeTomaso Pantera is further claimed to be an unmolested original with key details still intact. The body appears excellent and we dig the side stripe decal along the bottom of the doors. Small bumpers are a major plus, too. Find the Pantera here on craigslist and listed for a cool $48,000; be sure to go here if the ad disappears.
The old-school California blue plates are a treat, but not much info is out there about Fortuna Motors. It looks like it has since closed but it’s hard to tell if it was an exotic car dealer or just a quick-lube shop. Regardless, even with the one repaint, it’s good to see the factory badges remain and we don’t see any evidence of cracked lenses or aftermarket modifications. Chrome on the bumpers looks nice, too.
The interior presents well, with the bucket seats in nice shape (aside from the box left sitting on the passenger side) and the console seemingly undamaged. The classic gated manual gearshift is as you’d expect, and the seller points out it hasn’t been messed with. That also goes for the engine cover and magnesium wheels, two other cosmetic items sometimes swapped out or otherwise misplaced.
The seller will include a Marti Report proving the car is everything the says it is, and the old-school tires further suggest many years of dormancy. It’s not hard to find a DeTomaso project, but it is more challenging to find a car with good bones. If the repaint was done in its original color combination, I see little here to fret about, and the price – while high – is about what you’d expect for a survivor-grade Pantera.
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Comments
Extra points for original air in tires?
I think this is listed by a small car museum/dealer that will sell car coming out of estates or for people downsizing their collection. It looks like an honest car, I hope it does well.
This car makes the blown apart primered Pantera from the other day look a bit overpriced at this point.
Steve R
Mitch Hedberg might say, “Come on Rick, can’t we put a little air in those tires?”
Seems like a steal in today’s market for Panteras. Not enough info or good photos to know for sure though.
A nice ’72 just sold on BAT for $104,000.
I am more interested in the blue car beside it .
@Fred H. The blue car is a Ford Model A and they are like backsides, everybody and his uncle has one, but how many people have a Pantera?
I have mixed feelings about Panteras, but unlike the previous Pantera on BF, this one looks like an OK buy considering that the median auction price paid for these recently has been $90K. At that price this car is almost 50% off.
Of course there are no underside shots of the car, and the seller says the car ” is in great shape for a restoration”….so it needs at least some ‘restoration’, exact details unspecified.
Someone might be able to get a good buy on a Pantera here, but I would still want to look the car over carefully, especially underneath, even if it is in dry Sacramento.
No valve cover caps on the front tire. That could be a deal breaker for me.
The missing cap attaches to the inner-tube.
The proximity of Fortuna to the Pacific ocean may give one pause regarding potential rust – I sure wouldn’t buy it without a thorough going over, although about 20 years ago I bought a nearly 50 year old Bentley from Fortuna that was remarkably solid.
If those are black plastic license plate frames I’d discount the location. Undercarriage pictures should be considered a must on a car like this. If the underside truly is rust free, the seller is basically giving money away by omitting pictures of that area.
Steve R
I love it but my bank account doesn’t.
I know a lot of people here dont like these……but isnt this like the steal of the week??????
I am not sure if the younger folks can drive , text , FaceTime and shift at same time with this car with that and all the gauges .
One has to have priorities right?
I like the car and the clean lines and interior.
These ran the 351 Cleveland engines right?
Has anyone ever driven one in the past as it looks like a nice low to ground car for maneuvering curves ? 👀👍
“ Jay Leno calls the De Tomaso Pantera “one of the most misunderstood and undervalued” cars of the 1970s. ”
You’re forgetting applying makeup WHILE texting and driving like the young and lovely that almost sideswiped me yesterday on my commute to work.
351C yes. ZF transmission yes. Lots of power and great handling car. Managed to wrangle a test drive when one showed up on the Ford dealer’s lot in Emporia, KS. Scared the living bejeezus out of the saleman that came along. Those were the days.
In my little town of 10,000 people, a month or two ago I came upon a wrecked Pantera pushed through an intersection and laying amongst the rocks. To be fair, I think (but I didn’t witness the collision,) the Pantera attempted a left turn in front of an approaching Ford Focus or something like that.
@Chinga-Trailer – In towns of 10,000 or fewer people, aren’t drivers of Panteras considered Satan-worshipers or witches or some such?
Well gee, I wonder what this little town thinks of me when I take my RHD Cobra or Bentley R Type out???
A Pantera sold Monday at Copart. $20 000. Looked like a telephone pole stopped the car at the driver’s feet, as in past the front wheels.
I was impressed because the passenger compartment was intact.
This one looks like a phenomenal start for a reasonable price – for what these are bringing at aution, pointed out by others. I love it! This is a bucket list car for me…