The Pantera was a mid-engine sports car produced by De Tomaso in Italy from 1971-92. They were available in the U.S. for about five years through a partnership with Ford. Most of the cars were powered by 351 cubic inch Ford V8s, either the Cleveland or Windsor versions. Three of these rare cars appear to be owned by the same party and are available here on craigslist in Bayboro, North Carolina. The asking prices are $55,000, $75,000 or $100,000 depending on which one suits your fancy (and budget).
De Tomaso Automobili was founded by Argentinian Alejandro De Tomaso. The Pantera, with its steel monocoque chassis, was developed to replace the Mangusta, which had used a steel backbone chassis. De Tomaso forged a partnership with Ford Motor Co. which would supply engines for the cars. Beginning in late 1971, Ford began importing the Pantera to the U.S. and sold them through its Lincoln- Mercury dealers. This arrangement would last through 1975 and see about 5,500 delivered in America. After that, the partnership changed, the cars were no longer imported, but Ford still provided the powerplants. Only 1,500-2,000 more cars were built over the next 17 years.
The seller has three complete, surviving Pantera’s which are said to be rust free. They have been in storage for upwards of 20 years and there are extra parts coming depending on the car. While they are located in North Carolina, all the clear titles are from California. Two of them were registered as ‘71s while the other is a ’72.
1971 Pantera (blue in color)
We’re told this was one of the earliest Pantera’s made and was one of only 250 painted in blue. While it could be restored, the seller says it’s good enough to show just the way it is (cleaned up of course). We’re not told if it has the Cleveland or Windsor V8, but the engine is said to be smooth and quiet and paired with a tight ZF 5-speed manual. This one hasn’t seen the road in perhaps 20 years. The interior is okay, been a full servicing of the car will be required before taking it out on the highway. The numbers match on the car and $75,000 is required to exchange ownership.
1971 Pantera (yellow in color)
Finished in yellow paint, this Pantera is said to have just 26,000 miles on it. The car has had one repaint and we assume this was the original shade. The interior is decent for a car having been in storage for two decades. As with the other ’71, this automobile will require a thorough servicing from head to toe before leaving the driveway. That includes all the fluids, and anything made of rubber. This is the cheaper car of the trio at $55,000.
1972 Pantera (white and brown in color)
This car wears its original paint but has been modified to include four fender flares which are said to have been professionally installed. The Pantera has seen less than 32,000 miles of use and is powered by the Ford 351 Cleveland V8 with a ZF 5-speed manual tranny. A switch was made at some point from a Weber 4-barrel to a Holley 4-barrel to improve drivability (the old set-up was saved to go with the car). Despite its appearance on craigslist, we’re told the car has been well-maintained with newer brakes and an excellent interior. $100,000 is the magic number needed to take this one home.
All the prices the seller has posted are negotiable. Hagerty says a 1972 Pantera in Fair condition is worth $48,000 where the nicest one on the planet is a $122,000 acquisition. Good thing the motors were from Ford because who knows how hard parts are to come for on an Italian car that was last built nearly 30 years ago. The seller is willing to trade up or down for a hot rod, another sports car, muscle car and even a race car. But he specifically said “no tattoos”!
Thanks, Robert Thomas, for this tip!
WAAAAY to much coin being asked – unless the eons of dust are successfully hiding the 24k gold plate.
Please seller WASH YOUR CARS esp if you want over-the-top-dollar for something parked in a barn built for short people, or cows or sheep.
When you post on Craig’s List, you are not required to wash your car. If it was posted on FB, you don’t even need to pull it out of the bushes.
You never wash a barn find until you have decided what direction you are going with it and you are ready to start, Introduces not needed moisture and the layers of dust are a great protectant.
Damn, where ARE these barns?!
For that price for a dusty old car i hope the barn comes with it!
If the cars look like that….WTF do the barns look like?
BF deja vu https://barnfinds.com/trio-of-early-detomasa-pantera-projects/
Good catch Matt. The seller must have added more photos, so I didn’t recognize them when I gave Russ the go-ahead to write them up!
I thought I had seen these before
Math was never my strongest subject, but for an Italian car built nearly 30 years ago, you are off by a good 20 years!
Finally! A “Patinaed Pantera”
I have been waiting just so I could type those words together…
I’m still waiting to use ‘Pontiac Catapantina’. Or ‘Pantalina’.
In the early ’80s, we had a young neighbor who bought a new Pantera. I coveted that car…until the engine caught fire.
Then you went and bought a package of hot dogs we assume…
Steve Clinton,
You must live outside of the US – Panteras were
last (officially) sold here in the US as 1974’s.
My bad, it should have read ‘early ’70s’. So I goofed…sue me!
Never heard of a Pantera having a 351W. Pretty certain they all came with Clevelands.
Then you went and bought a package of hot dogs we assume…
I’ve always wanted one of these since one came through our shop for a clutch job in 1978. I’m a GM guy but I could make an exception if I could fit my 6′-2″ azz in one… it’s hard enough with my C3 vette…plus I can’t afford any one the three… and the one i like the best, costs the most!!…story of my life….Champagne taste, beer bottle money. 😉
THIS is what a $100k Pantera looks like (and it has a substantial upgrade in the engine department to boot):
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1974-detomaso-pantera-18/
OR this beauty if you want to stick with 351 cubes:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1973-detomaso-pantera-29/
Pull them back in the barn. Crack pipe prices.
I will take the blue one but not for 75K. I seem to remember the early cars needed a lot of rework to address structural, electrical, and cooling shortcomings. Never drove one but would love to someday.
Back in 1972, my boss had a brand new one. He also had his own fuel tanks at the company, diesel, Sunoco 260 and what we then called “Ac Gas”…don’t remember the octane..racers bought it from him. I got to drive it a few times…coming out of 2nd at 100…9on a state route in the country…heart pumping …wow…those days…
All Pantera’s imported To the USA had 351 Cleveland engines, never the 351W.
The De Tomaso Mangusta had the Windsor 302, although very few were built with the Cleveland headed Boss 302.
Yes, these are all overpriced, but wow would I love to own a Pantera! Wanted one since I they came out. No question the early ones with chrome bumpers are the best looking but even the later ones were better looking than anything else on the road. IIRC the MSRP back in ’71 being about $10,000.
In 73’ or 74’ I went to a Mike Salta dealership in San Diego, CA. and there were rows of Pantera’s with sticker prices from 6K, 7K and up.
This guy is crazy.
When I was a young teenager and didn’t know any better, I was crazy about Fords. To see a new car that looked like this and with valve covers that said “Power by Ford” well it just didn’t bet any better than that for me. And yes they were all Clevelands.
A fellow worker bought a brand new 1971. As we were admiring it one guy said, “You could have bought a Corvette for that kind of money.” The kid looked at him like he just landed on earth.
Was he kidding you could have bought 1 1/2 Corvettes for the price of Pantera, Vetts were going for around 6 grand but the Pantera was a cool 9 grand, a lot of money at the time.
Those prices are typical for the Carolinas. They think everything they have is better than anything anyone else has. Just arrogance.
same ad on barnfinds a month ago
Yes, i have seen these listed before. Still the same prices? Good luck.
He’s keeping the black one and the burgundy one shown in the photos? Another reason Corvette has lasted so long. GM. Ford can’t keep a decent sports car in production. Must cost a lot for those short runs.
Ford didn’t build Panteras…
Panteras were built by DeTomaso. For just supplied the engines. Limited production runs are kind of a hallmark of boutique carmakers.
I’ve always coveted a Pantera, but I know I’ll never own one because I don’t have a tiny European frame. The same goes for a lot of other exotic and muscle cars. Even when I was younger (and a few pounds lighter), I had difficulty wedging into a 69 Mustang Boss 302.
When I saw the blue one @$75K I thought it was for all 3 and I thought that was a reasonable price.
much overheating problems
So on bring a trailer the bidding stopped for a beautiful 72 pantera at 92k.
So I would make on offer for all three but for less than or maybe at the 100k number.
I remember the local Lincoln Merc dealer having 5 of these in the shop waiting for new transaxles, guess they had quite a lot of trouble with the factory ones, ZF?? Out of range for the avg Joe. Like Fahrvergnugen said, wash the cars. Almost seems like a scam- dirty car so you cant see what you are getting, Too much $$$, and the guy doesnt want to drop the price to move them. Also you would want to run the numbers to see if these are what they say. Know what you are buying. Good luck and stay safe.
Cheers
GPC
Any one able to tell me if there is any contact info for the seller, I am 30 minutes from Bayboro NC.
Yes his phone number and email is in the upper left corner, where it says reply.
Howie I clicked on reply and there was no contact info that came up, is it possible that you could send it to me?
Gregory, you see where it says not a dealer? Right after that it says show contact info. But here is his number. 1-805-910-8094. Good luck.
Howie
Contacted the seller and talked for awhile. Said he has 30 Panteras in his lifetime, I guess he was restoring and selling. He posted that he would consider trades, but when
I told him what I had to trade he didn’t seem interested. He agreed to let me send him a video of my car but I have not heard back from him. He is certainly a character.
Hi Gregory, thanks for the update, sounds like he is a old time dealer of Pantera’s. I hope his others were in better shape then these. I am old and remember when they were very cheap, under 10k. But yes we can all say that about many cars. So you never went and saw them?
Howie
I am no spring chicken. They came out when I was in high school. I am so close to him that I will keep in contact. I offered him my 1956 Golden Hawk but guess it was not his cup of tea.
Yes we saw these a month ago and with these prices we will see them for months to come. The seller is just fishing. Problem is, anyone who wants a Pantera has some of idea of what they are worth. Don’t think any of the three are running so 1/2- 2/3 price for each might be more palatable but still questionable.
I have clicked on the reply on the top left corner of the Craigslist post ing and no contact info comes up. Is there a chance anyone can relay the sellers contact info and phone number to me. I would be willing to post info here about the cars after I go look at them.
I had a 1971, bought new and then stored in my barn for 20 years. Should have kept it but two bits of warning. I could never solve the overheating problem and rust was eating away at the mounts for the suspension and the rockers. The motor (Cleveland) and ZF trans were bulletproof but I did swap carbs (carter?) for Holley 750. Front suspension would not stay aligned and ate tires.
My high school math teacher had a Pantera exactly like the yellow car. Same graphics, even. This was in Anchorage, Alaska in the late 1970’s. She also had a Ferrari.