Stumbled on a nice 15-minute history of DeTomaso’s Pantera. To my mind, along with Bizzarini’s offerings, this was the ideal marriage: dago styling coupled with a decent Murkin engine. (Of course, in the beginning “Italian styling” went hand-in-hand with “Italian build quality”, but at least that was rectified in the Pantera’s second production year.)
And I have to say that I do prefer the pre-1980s Pantera:
…even in the fugly late-70s American trim with the loathsome “safety” bumpers:
…without that fat, ostentatious wing that was added later:
Hell, I’d drive one today — yeah, I know, “Kim prefers an early-1970s car over a modern one, quelle surprise.”
In the 70’s my father always leased the latest model of the Lincoln Continental. I remember that his dealer had a Pantera in the showroom that just sat there for the longest time. At that price point of $ 10K even the Lincoln customers were not buying.
…. and yes. the mandated safety bumpers did not help the lines of the car.
In the 1980’s in CA SCCA racing, there was a spirited rivalry between the owner of a Group-5 Pantera, and a Ferrari 512BB/LM, in the ASR class. Both of us had a lot of fun.