Lee Iacocca was a master at spotting a gap within Ford’s model range and devising the right car to plug that gap. Most vehicles were company-developed, but the De Tomaso Pantera represented an attempt to incorporate a car from a third party. This 1971 Pantera is one of the earliest imports, and although it requires total restoration, it is structurally sound and comes with a freshly rebuilt engine and transaxle. It requires an enthusiast with deep commitment and deeper pockets to return it to its former glory. Still, the reward will be a classic capable of generating a six-figure value. The Pantera is listed here on Craigslist in Rowlett, Texas. The seller set their price at $50,000, and while that isn’t cheap, it appears in the ballpark for a vehicle of this caliber.
The Iacocca radar was finely tuned, and the man’s instincts that brought him considerable success in sales before joining Ford told him there was room in the market for a genuine supercar within the company’s model range. He developed a working relationship with Alejandro de Tomaso, negotiating to import and market the Pantera through the Lincoln-Mercury dealer network from 1971. Ford sold 1,007 examples during that model year, with the first seventy-five cars handbuilt using Carrozzeria Vignale bodies. Those vehicles can be identified by their “pushbutton” door locks, and first impressions are this is one of those vehicles. However, while the doors are correct, the rear quarter panels lack the edge recesses that were distinctive and necessary to open the doors. There is evidence of repairs on one side that may have eliminated that feature, but only an in-person inspection will reveal the truth. My instinct tells me the doors have been added to what is one of the later 1971 examples, which is disappointing. The car requires total restoration, but the buyer will start with a solid foundation. The floors and underside show no evidence of steel penetration, and the panels show nothing beyond surface corrosion and what might be some developing rust on the joints between the quarter panel and rocker. The driver’s door is damaged, but the additional components include a pair of doors, door skins, and a roof skin. The glass is intact, as are most of the trim pieces. The final part of the puzzle is the original set of Campagnolo wheels in good condition.
The interior shot reveals the solid floors, but the wheel and steering column are the only intact hardware. However, it isn’t all bad news. The trim and upholstery was removed during the stalled restoration and is included. The major components appear intact, but they will require inspection to determine what is serviceable, what might be restorable, and which items are destined for the bin. The work needed to whip the panels and paint into shape will not be significantly more expensive than any other classic from this era. An interior retrim is unlikely to be as affordable if it proves necessary. I could not locate complete trim kits, but with carpet costing $400 and a set of seatcovers in the correct material and color adding nearly $800 to the tally, that provides an insight into the potential investment required to achieve showroom presentation.
The drivetrain news offsets the expense of returning this Pantera’s interior to its original glory. The relationship between De Tomaso and Iacocca was almost inevitable, with the former utilizing Ford engines to power his sports cars. The Pantera features a mid-mounted 351ci V8 that sends 310hp and 380 ft/lbs of torque to the road via a five-speed ZF transaxle. The curb weight of 2,859 lbs makes the ¼-mile ET of 13.5 seconds unsurprising. If the driver keeps the pedal to the metal, they will be rewarded with a top speed of 162mph. The seller indicates that not only is the Pantera mechanically complete, but the engine and transaxle are freshly rebuilt. It won’t be a case of dropping them in and hitting the road because the remaining mechanical components require inspection. That will undoubtedly uncover items requiring restoration or replacement, but the potentially most costly tasks are complete.
I wish I could be sure this 1971 Pantera was one of the early “pushbutton” versions, but I don’t believe it is. The seller states that the restoration should cost $50,000, and with the initial purchase price, that represents a total investment of $100,000. They float a potential value of $150,000 once the work is complete. While that figure conforms with values supplied by NADA and Hagerty, recent sales results suggest a lower value of around $120,000 is more realistic for a pristine car. That leaves room to move before the financial viability becomes questionable, but is that a risk you would willingly take?
Dennis the Jeep guy is right down the street….if he’s passed it up there’s no money to be made…..
At $50k for that pile of parts there is DEFINITELY no money to be made. That one will be a labor of love for someone.
And it likely comes with a very expensive, but equally unpleasant guaranteed divorce settlement !
IMO, the Pantera GT5-S is probably in the list of top 5 most beautiful cars ever made. This one is a *long* way away from that. If I was wealthy enough, and inclined, I’d almost prefer that the original engine was long gone, so I could drop in something modern without feeling guilty about the whole “numbers matching” thing.
Panteras are, I think, worth saving, I’m sure someone with an excess of cash will see this one to a new beginning.
If you were to build it for keeps, do what you want, don’t worry about numbers. You can set the original engine aside for the “just in case” crowd.
Considering the level of restoration this one needs, you might as well do what you want because you will be a LOT deeper into it than you’d ever get out of it. Contrary to the nonsense spewed by the seller, these are expensive cars to restore well and they don’t bring $150k unless they are pro-built, top notch cars that cost way more than that to build.
They’re all worth saving though. Let’s hope the seller smartens up and eventually sells this one at a price that ensures someone actually picks it up. I’ve seen too many of these projects go unsold by unrealistic sellers who would rather let them rot back into the earth than sell it for a realistic price. Hopefully this guy isn’t one of those.
The 351C can easily be built into a real fast-revving powerhouse. I had a pro circletrack race engine builder do mine, and it instantaneously revved like a DOHC 4, and was never beaten on the street. A real raging bull.
$50k for this? Good one!!
Look a 150k do it yourself kit. Lol because you buy in to that nightmare you’ll be laughing all the way to the poor house. If you do get it together then you still have the over heating issues that plagued this cars. I’ll pass.
In the 23 yrs. I owned one, the under cooling of the A/C system gave far more trouble than engine overheating.
I lived in Orlando Florida too. My nechanic was THE guy on Panteras and virtually every system on the car was improved. Not being wealthy, that car absorbed one helluva lot of hundred dollar bills, and it probably was never w/o one or more problems.
It was rarely the engine, which was pro built, just everything else. When it was running right, it was the road bully and never beaten. I remember 150 at 2 AM on deserted I-95 south of Daytona. Sounded really really good with the Hall Big-Bores. Good for big grins. Sold in 2002 (right before they started appreciating) and I don’t miss it.
You can buy a nice one for under $100k. Yeah, you can pay a lot more but it would be for something this will never be no matter how much you put into it.
5k$ & thats stretching it
Ha ha ha! $5,000 max you say? The ZF gearbox is worth more than that alone. I’ll buy every single Pantera you can find me in this shape for 5 large, and I’ll pay you a commission on top!
bt
Yep, Beauwayne’s comment is just as asinine as the seller’s asking price. Reality is somewhere roughly in the middle between the two, probably $25-30k.
Whoa…it’s Monday the 13th and I’m waking up to a ghost from Hell.
Better have a good friend who owns a machine shop who has a friend that owns a body shop who has a friend that owns a upholstery shop that might know someone who knows someone that has a glass shop that is related to someone else.
Truly a shame it has ended up in this situation. Especially being this year and model. My heart hurts…sad.
Max value – $35 – $40K. I have owned 2.
You can buy a nice one for under $100K.The market pricing is on the decline.
The only way you can be sure if it’s truly a push button door car is by the vin. This car has the push button doors but the qtr panels are supposed to have a cut out for your hand. It should also have a zf d-1 transaxle. So post a pic of the last 4 digits of the vin. I believe the push button production ended somewhere between 1360-1380
How was such a high end car allowed to deteriorate into this condition, like an old Chevy in a wrecking yard?
Dad worked for FoMoCo in NYC Public Relations and SOLD a used 71 public relations test vehicle in 73 for $6800… to a close friend. I still have the photos of this red beauty at the Watkins Glen Gran Prix Paddock Club fence. Fast forward to the 74.. I’m 17 and being ALLOWED to drive my date home in THIS silver beauty my dad brought in for the weekend on route NY 202 ..third gear at FULL chat…351 Cleveland making all the crazy combustion sounds 6 inches from your neck, (Even Mopar Hellcats don’t make THAT music with the Ansa exhaust of a Pantera!) … this car went to a good friend, a retired Secret Service Agent, (one of the guys that DID the J O B) … for $10k… he LOVED that car.. even bought a utility garage for his backyard in D.C. to park it in… MY hope is that the purchaser of this skeleton of a Pantera will be able to revive the joy & sound of a mile long straight on a fall day at full chat with the person who will be with you for 50+ years at your side!