De Tomaso Pantera
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| Manufacturer | De Tomaso |
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| Production | 1970–1991 7260 produced[1] |
| Predecessor | De Tomaso Mangusta |
| Class | Sports car |
| Body style(s) | coupe |
| Layout | RMR layout |
| Engine(s) | Ford 351 Cleveland V8 |
| Wheelbase | 99 in (2,500 mm) |
| Length | 167.5 in (4,250 mm) |
| Width | 72 in (1,800 mm) |
| Height | 43.25 in (1,099 mm) |
| Fuel capacity | 80 L (21.1 US gal; 17.6 imp gal)[2] |
| Designer | Tom Tjaarda under Ghia |
The Pantera was a sports car produced by the De Tomaso car company of Italy from 1971 to 1991,[1] the last one delivered to a customer in 1992.[3] The word "Pantera" is Italian for "Panther". The car was designed by Tom Tjaarda and replaced the De Tomaso Mangusta. Unlike the Mangusta, which employed a steel backbone chassis, the Pantera was a steel monocoque design, the first instance of De Tomaso using this construction technique.
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[edit] History
The first 1971 Panteras were powered by a Ford 351 in³ (5.8 L) V8 which produced 330 hp (246 kW). The ZF transaxle used in the Mangusta was also used for the Pantera. Another Italian exotic that shares the ZF transaxle is the Maserati Bora. Power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes and rack and pinion steering were standard equipment. The 1971 Pantera could accelerate to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 5.5 seconds according to Car and Driver.
Late in 1971, Ford began importing Panteras for the American market to be sold through its Lincoln Mercury dealers. The first 75 cars were simply European imports 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. Unfortunately, these cars were poorly built, and several Panteras broke down during testing on Ford's own test track. Early crash testing at UCLA showed that safety cage engineering was not very well understood in the 1970s. Rust-proofing was minimal on these early cars, and the quality of fit and finish was poor, with large amounts of lead being used to cover body panel flaws. Notably, Elvis Presley once fired a gun at his Pantera after it wouldn't start.
Several modifications were made for the 1972 model year Panteras. A new 4-bolt main Cleveland Engine, also 351 in³, was used with lower compression (from 11:1 to 8.6:1, chiefly to meet US emissions standards and run on lower octane standard fuel) but with more aggressive camshaft timing (in an effort to reclaim some of the power lost through the reduction in compression). Many other engine changes were made, including the use of a factory exhaust header.
The "Lusso" (luxury) Pantera L was also introduced in 1972. It featured large black bumpers for the US market as well as a 248 hp (185 kW) Cleveland engine. The 1974 Pantera GTS featured yet more luxury items and badging.
Ford ended their importation to the U.S. in 1975, having sold roughly 5,500 cars in the United States. De Tomaso continued to build the car, however, in ever-escalating forms of performance and luxury for more than a decade. A small number of Panteras were imported to the US by gray market importers in the 1980s, notably Panteramerica and AmeriSport. In all, about 7,200 Panteras were built.
[edit] Specifications
1971 specifications:
- Engine: 351 in³ Cleveland (5.8 L) V8
- Power: 330 hp (246 kW)
- Curb weight: 3123 lb (1417 kg)
- Wheelbase: 98.4 in (2500 mm)
- Front track: 57.0 in (1448 mm)
- Rear track: 58.0 in (1473 mm)
- Length: 158.0 in (4013 mm)
- Width: 67.0 in (1702 mm)
- Height: 43.4 in (1102 mm)
- Brakes: Front 332 x 32 Ventillated and Cross-Drilled; Rear: 314 x 28 Ventillated
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b "The Cars: Yesterday:pantera". detomaso.it/gb/. http://www.detomaso.it/gb/vetture/ieri/pantera.html. Retrieved on 2008-08-09.
- ^ Daily Express Motor Show Review 1975 Cars: Page 46 (De Tomaso Pantera). October 1974.
- ^ "The History". detomaso.it. http://www.detomaso.it/gb/storia/storia.html. Retrieved on 2008-08-09.
- ^ "03.05.2008 LONG FORGOTTEN PANTERA PROTOTYPE RESURFACES AT VILLA D'ESTE". italiaspeed.com/2008. http://www.italiaspeed.com/2008/cars/others/de_tomaso/05/villa_deste/0205.html. Retrieved on 2008-07-18.
[edit] References
- (August, 1971) Car and Driver
- Pantera Owners Club of America
- The DeTomaso Registry
- Pantera Wiki
- The Banzai Runner Pantera website - Features the Pantera used in the 1987 movie Banzai Runner, Pantera history, technical info, and the web's most complete list of Pantera web links.
- Comprehensive list of DeTomaso and Pantera appearances in Film, Television and Video.
- The Pantera Place website http://www.panteraplace.com/
- AmeriSport
- Ron's De Tomaso Cars Page Features information on various De Tomaso cars and an online database.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: De Tomaso Pantera |
| De Tomaso Modena S.p.A. car timeline, 1960s–2010s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Type | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| RMR | Vallelunga | Mangusta | Pantera | Guarà | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FR Sedan | Deauville | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FR Coupé | Longchamp | Biguà | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The automobile seen in the movie, "Kill Bill 2" was a DeTomaso Mangusta NOT a Pantera. This 1969 DeTomaso Mangusta is owned by David and Linda Adler.
