Classic car of the month: De Tomaso Pantera

There is something truly special about Italian collector cars, and few models reveal this intrinsic quality better than the De Tomaso Pantera. Representing a powerful Italian-American collaboration, this dynamic ride brings the best of many automotive traditions to the forefront.

Making its mark throughout the 70s, 80s, and even the early 90s, the De Tomaso Pantera had a long run. While its most familiar models made their mark with the American Lincoln-Mercury dealers of the 1970s, the Pantera continued to make a splash well into the 1990s. These days, classic car enthusiasts can explore many models, each of which brings something distinct to the forefront.

Interested in driving this Italian powerhouse? Keep reading to learn why De Tomaso Pantera is one of the top classic cars — and to see if you might be a candidate for getting behind the wheel of this collector car.

Panther inspiration

Iconic designer Tom Tjaarda deserves the bulk of the credit for breathing life into the Pantera. Italian for 'panther,' this car was meant to replace De Tomaso's Mangusta (Italian for "mongoose"), which made an impression with gull-wing styling but left much to be desired in terms of handling.

The Pantera stood out partly due to its high-end features that, while taken for granted today, seemed downright exotic during the 70s, especially in European markets. Although the Pantera's run with Ford was somewhat short, the car continued to spark fascination for decades, achieving an impressive element of longevity (albeit eventually limited to select markets).

Every Pantera edition has something special to offer. These differ in terms of performance, luxury, and even safety. Noteworthy versions of this dynamic collector car are explored in detail below:

The original Pantera

Featuring a 5.8-litre engine, this vehicle was a true trailblazer. Its aggressive design exemplified the dominant Italian aesthetic of the era, but where the Pantera really stood out was with its extraordinary performance: amazing acceleration (especially for the time) and the ability to reach blazing fast speeds. The original interior maintained this performance-centric focus, however, and was not luxurious compared to the later L model.

Pantera L (Lusso)

Highlighting De Tomaso's shift to luxury (with the term Lusso actually representing "luxury"), the Pantera L addressed many of the concerns about the initial Pantera model. The main goal was to get up to date with safety regulations — and this was achieved with a different bumper design. The L also gained a better cooling system and higher-quality seating materials.

Pantera GTS

Bringing the focus back to performance, the Pantera GTS (short for Gran Turismo Sport) brought small modifications to the original V8 engine in hopes of achieving better acceleration. Other adjustments delivered sportier handling to ensure an exciting experience behind the wheel. The exterior aesthetic remained aggressive, however, and this vehicle continues to stand out on the open road.

Pantera 90 Si

As the final version of the De Tomaso Pantera, the 90 Si exemplified the best of this model while keeping it fresh with several exciting updates. Advanced fuel injection was added to the mix, the vehicle's name included an abbreviation for "Superiore Iniezione" or "superior injection."

Eventually, this model was phased out, as it was now time for the De Tomaso Guarà. The Guarà would be the final project put on the market by founder Alejandro de Tomaso. Even after the age of the Pantera came to a close, this collector car remained incredibly popular among enthusiasts.

Protect your dream vehicle with classic car insurance

Whether you dream of driving the De Tomaso Pantera or another standout vehicle, you will want to feel confident that your collector car will go the distance. If you want solid protection and peace of mind, feel free to contact an Orbit insurance broker for a free quote.

Sources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZKIolPiLf4 

https://www.petersen.org/vehicle-spotlights/1971-detomaso-pantera-elvis-presley 

https://www.audrainautomuseum.org/muscle-car-madness/1972-detomaso-pantera