PA-65646
Most of us would lose to Alejandro de Tomaso for a “most interesting man in the room” competition. Did you flee your native country (Argentina) for plotting a coup against the president? Did you become a F1 racing driver placing P9 on your inaugural race? Is your life partner an American Heiress? Did you become an automobile industrialist who would later BUY Maserati? That’s what I thought.
For the Pantera, De Tomaso carried over the same magic ingredients from their ’66 Mangusta – Italian styling mated to a burly (Ford V8) American engine. It debuted in Modena (birthplace of all good Italian things) in March 1970 and met with equal enthusiasm at the NY Auto Show the same year.
The Pantera was a hit, a stunning high-performance coupe rivalling contemporary Europeans and American offerings at a fraction of the price. It was not without quality issues however as rust, electrical and mechanical issues plagued early models. The King (Elvis not Charles) notoriously fired his revolver into his Pantera when it failed to start – his original car can be seen at the Petersen Museum.