The most-iconic Italian-American sports cars are undoubtedly those from DeTomaso, which produced the Mangusta and Pantera that combined Italian styling and finesse with the booming power of a Ford V8.
The Pick of the Day, a 1974 DeTomaso Pantera GTS, is from the final year of importation to the U.S., although they continued to be sold for nearly 20 years in other parts of the world. At this point, DeTomaso and Ford – which sold Panteras at Lincoln-Mercury dealerships – had severed ties, and the gas crisis along with U.S. emission standards doomed DeTomaso in this country.
With its 351cid Cleveland engine, mid-mounted behind the seats, and a 5-speed ZF manual transmission, the Pantera is a roaring performance beast beloved by both the import and muscle-car crowd.
This Pantera (Italian for panther) is in immaculate preserved condition with just 8,900 original miles, according to the Halton Hills, Ontario, dealer advertising the coupe on ClassicCars.com.
“With its drop-dead looks, blistering performance and extreme rarity, this Pantera GTS has it all,” the dealer says in the ad.
The engine is rated at 266 horsepower and 301 pound-feet of torque, enough for 6-second zero-60 sprints and a top speed exceeding 150 mph. Add the power and rugged reliability of the Ford engine to the advanced chassis and suspension of an Italian thoroughbred, and this is an attractive package indeed.
The seller notes that the GTS is one of just 97 sold in America for 1974, and because of the falling out with Ford, the car no longer wore DeTomaso badges, but instead was labeled as a Pantera GTS.
The ’74 Pantera for the American market came “with wider-than-stock wheels, a blacked-out hood and deck lid, rivet-mount fender flares, sport steering wheel and rocker-panel graphics,” the seller says.
This one has electric side windows and air conditioning that “add luxury to sport in the ’70s-perfect interior.” The car rides on Campagnolo aluminum-alloy wheels and Goodyear Arriva tires.
As a rare, low-mileage survivor, this Pantera would seem to deserve its premium price tag of $165,000.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
This must be a pristine example. I owned 2 Panteras-brought them back from Italy. Both were a veritable “P O S”, & I sold them to a friend. I also brought back an ISO Lele (Chevrolet 327)-which was a phenomenal car-much better than the Pantera.