One of only 12 right-hand drive GT5 Panteras built by the factory, this stunning blend of classic mid-eighties Italian exotica and American V8 motivation has been subject to a photo-documented, magazine-featured restoration over the years.
Having established himself as a serious automobile manufacturer with the Mangusta coupé, Alejandro De Tomaso commissioned Lamborghini designer, Gianpaolo Dallara, to produce the chassis for his new mid-engined supercar, the Pantera. Dallara opted for unitary construction for the steel chassis/body, abandoning the Mangusta's backbone frame, and competition-specification double wishbone/coil-spring suspension all round. The Ford Motor Company was De Tomaso's partner at the time of the Pantera's introduction in 1971 and consequently the Pantera, like the Mangusta, relied on Ford V8 power. Mated to an all-synchro ZF five-speed transaxle, the 351ci (5.8-litre) Cleveland engine varied in output depending on the destination market, and in European trim offered around 330bhp enabling the Pantera to arrive at 60mph in a little over 5 seconds on its way to 165mph. Styled by Tom Tjaarda at Carrozzeria Ghia, the stunning coupé body was in fact built by Vignale, both companies being part of De Tomaso's empire in the early 1970s.
Exceptionally long-lived for a supercar, the Pantera was still around in the 1990s having undergone a series of upgrades. The first major revision of the Pantera's body style occurred in 1980 with the introduction of the GT5 which was a direct spin-off from the racing program, backed but not paid for by de Tomaso. Introduced in 1980, these aggressive looking Panteras featured much revised 'ground-effect' bodywork including a deep front air dam with integral driving lights, rocker panel extensions, flared fibreglass wheel arches, a boot lid-mounted 'delta-wing' spoiler, greater interior comfort and better brakes.
Beautifully presented in Rosso Fuoco (Fire Red) over a sumptuous original interior in ruched dark cream leather, this striking Pantera GT5 was acquired by our vendor, a notable private collector, in August 2017 with an indicated mileage of around 5,500 (reset at the point of restoration). He has used it lightly since then and the odometer currently reads just less than 6,500 miles.
With the car are two USB sticks containing pictures of the car's restoration works, which took place between 2001 and 2009, as well as many bills and invoices. This restoration was also closely followed by the De Tomaso Drivers Club News which is a quarterly magazine with comprehensive pictures and articles covering all the work that was carried out, the many challenges, and how they overcame them. These magazine copies are in the history file accompanying the car. As a part of this process, the engine rebuild had been finished in 2008 and put on a dyno in 2009, where it gave an impressive 300bhp and 325 lbs/ft of torque. Additional invoices from this period detail other aspects of the restoration including a complete repaint in its original Rosso Fuoco, a dramatic shade that really suits the car. Further work was carried out in 2015 when the transaxle and gearbox were fully rebuilt.
Whilst this fabulous Pantera would look at home on any Concours lawn, the GT5 is a serious performance machine that is still relevant today. During a magazine road test a few years ago, respected journalist, Richard Heseltine, described the GT5 thus "acceleration is brutal, even in top. It emits the sort of surround sound fanfare that you imagine will accompany Armageddon and the sustained shove is precisely that: a shove...The Pantera's chassis was good to begin with, which is to be expected of a Gian Paolo Dallara design, but the GT5's setup feels more honed than most...The car corners flatly with no loss of equilibrium and you can power through tight bends without the tail budging an inch. Its composure is rock solid."
This is an excellent example of a highly collectable Italian supercar, being one of just 12 right-hand drive GT5 Panteras built by the factory, and we invite and encourage your viewing at our Race Retro sale.
