Car of the Month – April, 2019

1971 DeTomaso Pantera

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1971 DeTomaso Pantera

HORSEPOWER – 330 HP WITH 324 FT-LBS OF TORQUE
TRANSMISSION – 5 SPEED MANUAL
CURB WEIGHT – 3,130 LBS
0-60 MPH – 5.5 SECONDS
1/4 MILE TIME – 13.3 SECONDS
TOP SPEED – 162 MPH
NUMBER BUILT – 5,625 (TOTAL PRODUCTION 1971-1974)
MSRP PRICE –$10,295.00

The 1971-‘74 DeTomaso Pantera combined Italian exotic sports car styling and a reliable, potent Ford V-8. The Pantera was the result of a collaboration between Ford Motor Company and sports car builder/former auto racer Alejandro DeTomaso. DeTomaso convinced top Ford Motor executive Lee Iacocca to have Ford back the Pantera and sell it in America.

The DeTomaso Pantera debuted in Modena Italy in March 1970 and was presented at the 1970 New York Motor Show a few weeks later.

Late in 1971 Ford began importing Panteras for the American market to be sold through its Lincoln Mercury dealers. The first 75 cars imported into the U.S. were originally slated for the European market and are known for their “push-button” door handles and hand-built Carrozzeria Vignale bodies. A total of 1,007 Panteras reached the United States that first year.

With a high torque American Ford 351 CID engine the car was especially tractable and made the car less demanding in urban conditions.

This car is one of the earliest Panteras imported into the United States. It is painted in the original factory color “Grabber Blue”, which is the same Grabber Blue sported by the 1970 Boss 429 on display here.