When the Modena-based company Automobili De Tomaso introduced the Pantera in New York in 1970 as the successor to the De Tomaso Mangusta, no one would have believed that the car would still be built 20 years later.
With the Pantera De Tomaso had been a step ahead of their competitors. At this time Ferrari and Maserati both have not had a large-volume mid-engine sports car. The Ford-related 351 Cleveland engine was used throughout the whole construction period – only the last Pantera GT5S was built with a Ford 351 Windsor engine. In the Mid-80s the GT5S got on the market. The base for this was the GT5, which had its premiere at the Turin Salon in 1980. The now 20-year long experience was reflected in this car – a combination of sportiness and comfort. The top speed of 280 km/h was reached with 200 hp – in six seconds the Pantera went from 0 to 100 km / h. The Pantera you can see in the photos was at the start at Le Mans Classic 2018 at the Circuit de la Sarthe.
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Report by collectorscarworld.com and Rainer Selzer
Photos by Rainer Selzer
