Back in the early 1970s, there were several cars that turned the auto industry—and the public—on its proverbial head, like the Lancia Stratos Zero at the 1970 Turin Motor Show, Lamborghini’s Countach at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show and DeTomaso’s Pantera at the 1970 New York Auto Show. While not as striking a design as the Lancia or Lamborghini, the Pantera created a stir because it performed on par with Porsche’s 911, Jaguar E-Type and the Dino Ferrari, but with a price tag of just under $10,000. The Pantera seduced would be buyers with the burbling sound of the Ford 351 Cleveland just behind your shoulder blades, the timeless Tom Tjaarda design that makes the car look like it’s doing a 120 while standing still, and the driver-focused cockpit with its gated shifter, vertical center-stack gauges and heel/toe placed pedal assembly. Sold and serviced by the local Lincoln-Mercury dealer, these early Panteras were completely hand-built and suffered from a malady of issues, including weak engine cooling, lackluster air conditioning, electrical gremlins and indifferent quality control. But Ford quickly stepped in, enlisting Holman and Moody in the East and Bill Stroppe in the West, to correct the issues on already-imported cars, with DeTomaso introducing the changes to vehicles that were in production. Today, the cars are bolstered by a strong supply of aftermarket DeTomaso parts, which eradicate any gremlins the Pantera previously encountered. This 1971 “Pre-L” Pantera is one of only 743 made in ‘71 and one of 87 finished in Code 6 Lime Green paint. Sold new at Lee Douglass Lincoln Mercury Inc. in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and with a mere 11,855 miles on the clock since leaving the Modena, Italy, factory, the car underwent a complete freshening several years ago. Still nestled between the rails, its numbers-matching 351 Ford “Cleveland” V-8 was upgraded with an MSD ignition system and Holley 4-barrel carb. The German-sourced ZF 5-speed manual gearbox features the early “tail mount” and case top oil fill, and the car rides on 15x7-inch front and 15x8-inch rear Campagnolo dual-slot magnesium wheels shod in BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires. The cabin is designed with the driver in mind, with dual binnacles for the large Veglia tachometer and 200 MPH speedometer, a center stack of angled accessory gauges and switch gear for lights, heater fan, electric window lifts, courtesy light, heater and AC controls. Back in the day, all Panteras came swathed in black vinyl upholstery, with the early cars featuring deep seats to support driver and passenger, something which the new owners of this 1971 DeTomaso Pantera are certain to greatly enjoy.
