The almost Frankensteinish dream and execution of American Muscle and Italian-style Design melded together by the mind of American designer Tom Tjaarda, the Pantera replaced the De Tomaso Mangusta, by making its official debut in Modena in March of 1970, and actually making its triumphant presentation for the American Market just a few weeks later, in New York.
The Beautiful lines and presence of the Pantera were an instant success; however, the first few Panteras which arrived later to the US were truly poorly built. Ford had pushed for production to be finished ahead of schedule in order to allow sales through its Lincoln Mercury dealers --and it showed. Plenty of customers of the first wave of Panteras were not happy with the fails… consider the fact that Elvis is known to have taken out his shotgun and fired it at his new Pantera, when this would not start, and you can draw your conclusions on this matter.
In fact, after re-working and making a few necessary design improvements, DeTomaso was able to produce and continue selling this mid-engine sports car from 1971 to 1991. It simply became the most popular model in the company’s history. Approximately, over 7,000 Panteras were produced by DeTomaso during the line’s 20-year run.
The 1971 Panteras were fitted with the Ford 351 cu in (5.8L) V8 engine, which eventually put out 380 hp, and the high torque of the Ford engines reduced the need for excessive gear changing at low speeds, which in turn made the Pantera much less demanding to drive in urban conditions. Thus, several modifications were made for the 1972 model year Panteras. The "Lusso" (luxury) Pantera L was also introduced, in August 1972 as a 1972½ model. It featured a large black single front bumper for the US market, rather than the separate bumperettes still used abroad, as well as a 248 hp Cleveland engine. Eventually, Ford ended their importation to the US in 1975, having sold around 5,500 cars.
DeTomaso continued to build the car in elevated echelons of performance and luxury for almost two decades for sale in the rest of the world. A small number of Panteras was imported to the US by gray market importers in the 1980s, notably Panteramerica and AmeriSport. The Pantera was finally phased out in 1993 to make way for the radical, carbon-fibre-bodied Guarà... But that shall be, perhaps, a matter for another story.
