OWNERS NAME: MICHAEL ARIAS

YEAR: 1974

MAKE: Detomaso

MODEL:Pantera

SUB MODEL:

BRIEF MANUFACTURER DETAILS AND SIGNIFICANT HISTORY OF CAR:

In 1969 Ford approached Italian car builder Alejandro Detomaso (originally from Argentina) and asked him to design and build a sports car for American buyers incorporating the spirit of the Ford GT40. Within 9 months the Pantera was born. Built in Italy, sold in America. The Pantera was the “retail” successor to the GT40, using a racing chassis developed by Dallara, designed by Ghia (Tom Tjaarda) and using the same mid-engine layout and transaxle as the GT40. The Pantera was 40 inches off the ground and had 4-wheel disc brakes, a/c and power windows and was powered by Ford’s V8 351 Cleveland engine. Designed to compete in the show room with Ferrari, it was only sold in Ford’s Lincoln Mercury Dealerships. About 5,500 were sold between 1971 and 1974 in the US, before emission controls, gas crisis and insurance caused Ford to abandon the Pantera. Detomaso continued to build and sell the Pantera in Europe until 1992, building another 1,700 cars.

BRIEF STORY OF THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE:

This Pantera was built in Modena, Italy in October 1973. Imported into the US, it was sold at the Ft Lauderdale Lincoln Mercury dealership in October 1974. In 1992, the previous owner bought it from the Rolls Royce dealership (next door to the Lincoln Mercury dealer) who then moved it to Georgia. The car was completely restored in 2004, changing the color from its original yellow to the current Electric Blue (some have said the 2004 Audi Nagaro Blue other’s including Edsel Ford III Ford Racing Blue). The original 15″ rims were replaced by 17″ Fiske 3-Piece aluminum wheels and fitted with V-rated tires. In 2024, the Girling brakes were replaced by Wilwood. In 2024, the front end was replaced after an accident while driving to the Delray Concours and the front bumper was replaced by a carbon fiber bumper. Other than a few other minor changes, this Pantera is original.