1974 DE TOMASO PANTERA - HISTORICS @ BROOKLANDS 29-11-14

"CROSSING THE BLOCK"

In Association with

  We continue our look at Historics next auction on Saturday 29th November at Mercedes Benz World. It is always a difficult decision to pick just seven entries from such a varied catalogue, something that always strikes me about Historics.

1974 DE TOMASO PANTERA

 The Pantera was produced from 1971 to 1991, the last one being delivered to a customer in 1992. It was designed by American, Tom Tjaarda and replaced the Mangusta. Unlike the Mangusta which employed a steel backbone chassis, the Pantera was a monocoque design, the first instance of De Tomaso using this construction technique. The car made its public debut in Modena in March 1970 and was presented at the New York Motor Show a few weeks later. Power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes and rack and pinion steering were all standard equipment on the Pantera, which could accelerate from 0-60mph in a bowel-loosening 5.5 seconds.

 

This stunning De Tomasa was imported into the UK in 2011 from California and the vendor, who is a very knowledgeable De Tomaso enthusiast, purchased WHJ 953M in May 2103. He set about restoring the Pantera to its former glory and appears to have done an excellent job in doing so. The orange paintwork is in good condition and shows no sign of corrosion and the black interior is in superb, unmarked order. The vendor is only offering this car for sale due to lack of storage space. The odometer reads 19,363 miles and is thought to be correct, there is paperwork in the history file indicating as such although this is not warranted. Supplied with a V5 registration document, an MoT test certificate valid until 8th April 2015 and a substantial history file including the U.S. title document. Italian sportscars have always been incredibly stylish, this De Tomaso Pantera is aesthetically a beautiful design, once the 5,800cc, V8 engine bursts into life, it is clear this offers the full package and is sure to be an investment for the future.

	Brooklands Museum Trust Ltd Brooklands Road Weybridge Surrey KT13 0QN Please contact Edward Bridger-Stille, John Tomlin, Stewart Banks, Mark Perkins, John Williams in the South West or Gerry Pettit for Automobilia. UK Freephone: 0800 988 3838 Non-UK: +44 (0) 1753 639170 Facsimile: +44 (0) 1522 262177 E-mail: auctions@historics.co.uk
	WEBSITE: HISTORICS @ BROOKLANDS Text & Images used with permission of HISTORICS @ BROOKANDS  GENERAL SPECIFICATION NOT ABOVE VEHICLE (Supplied By  CLASSIC & PERFORMANCE CAR   1971-1985 De Tomaso Pantera Overview De Tomaso learnt a lot of lessons from the Mangusta, so when it came to creating a new supercar for Ford to sell in the USA, it made sure it was a lot more habitable. The reworked chassis ensured there was a lot less rearward weight bias, and therefore, snap oversteer wasn’t an inevitable consequence of bungled corner. The interior was roomier, and had standard air conditioning, too. However, quality and reliability was poor, and when Ford withdrew its support, De Tomaso had to go it alone when selling the Pantera. Price at launch: £6996 Price (excellent): £28,500 Price (good): £24,000 Price (average): £15,000 Price (project): £9000 Performance 0-60mph:6.2secs Top speed:159mph Power:330bhp Torque:325lb/ft Engine Configuration:V8 Aspiration:normal Fuel:petrol Fuel delivery:carburettor Chassis Suspension Front: Independent, coil springs Suspension Rear: Independent, coil springs Drivetrain: mid-engine RWD Steering: rack and pinion Bodyframe: metal monocoque Transmission: Five-speed manual Dimensions Length: 4270mm Wheelbase: 2510mm Width: 1830mm Height: 1100mm Weight: 1411kgs   © Copyright Octane Media Ltd which is a subsidiary of Dennis Publishing Limited. Octane is a trademark of Felix Dennis.