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What Is a Good Price for a De Tomaso Pantera?
The De Tomaso Pantera is one of the most reliable European supercars to come from the 1970s. The Italian supercar’s design history spans three continents. But critically, its mechanical backbone comes from the stockpiles of Detroit. The wide availability of American parts is a big driver of the De Tomaso Pantera price.
The De Tomaso Pantera draws modern-day collectors. The price of a well-kept first-generation De Tomaso Pantera starts around $50,000. Yet, a top-notch Pantera for sale can climb to $250,000. The value goes up based on its list of high-performance mods.
At any given time, there are about 20 Panteras for sale on eBay. The American powertrain makes them easier to work on than most European supercars. eBay has all the parts to rebuild the V-8 engine.
Here is a gallery of Pantera models for sale on eBay in October 2020:
Interior of 1971 De Tomaso Pantera
A De Tomaso can be a bear to drive at speed. So, many collectors avoid the coupe’s standard editions. Instead, they focus on rare 1971 and 1972 models. Or later low-run original GT5s.
eBay bidding on this 1985 Pantera GT5 passed $80,000, with four days left in the auction.
A Future for De Tomaso Pantera USA?
Interest in the classic 1970s De Tomaso grew after October 2020 news. The company is moving from Italy to the US.
More awareness should lift the price of a De Tomaso Pantera. A revived company has a new lofty mission:
clarion call to those passionate about American automotive design that the time has come to restore the romance, beauty, passion, and elegance in the luxury American automotive industr
De Tomaso, whose most famous car is the Ford-engined Pantera, is biding its time. The company is searching for a carmaker partner to build a new supercar. It will join other famous brands trying to bring historic marques back to life. This includes Hispano Suiza and Delage.
De Tomaso’s current product, under CEO Ryan Berris, is the P72. It’s a tribute to the ill-fated 1965 P70 racer. Peter Brock, of Cobra Daytona fame, designed the P72. In an ill-fated team effort, De Tomaso and Shelby American co-produced the seven-liter V-8 in the original model.
The Pantera badge could be a smart play for the company after it gets to America.
History of the De Tomaso Pantera
The mid-engine Pantera (Italian for “panther”) is a collectible car icon with famous owners such as:
- Ricky Nelson
- Mario Andretti
- Jackie Stewart
- The King of Sweden
And rumor has it that Elvis Presley put a bullet into his when it wouldn’t start.
The Pantera sprung from the mind of Argentinean auto racer and would-be business leader Alejandro De Tomaso. He married his way into a leadership role at Ghia and Vignale. Signore De Tomaso used that position as a springboard to further his own sports car ambitions.
After testing the waters with the Mangusta, De Tomaso turned to designer Tom Tjaarda to create the mid-engine Pantera’s wedge shape. That’s when he made a deal with Ford to provide technical expertise and parts.
Interior of 1971 De Tomaso Pantera
A sleek body designed by Italian coachbuilder Ghia was first shown at the New York Auto Show in 1970. About 5,500 units were produced between 1971 and 1975. The final block of cars was leftover ’74 models.
After the split with Ford, De Tomaso continued to build a few different versions of the Pantera well into the 1990s. The Blue Oval always provided engines. A total of 7,260 Panteras were made through 1992.
Reasons for the De Tomaso Pantera Price: American Parts
A large part of the Pantera’s appeal on the collector-car circuit is its bread-and-butter parts.
This 1972 De Tomaso Pantera sold on eBay Motors for $42,600 in 2015. It was substantially modified with a nod toward the GT5 look of later models.
Original Panteras have a 351-cubic-inch Cleveland V-8 mounted longitudinally behind the driver. It’s an engine that Ford fans know. And Mustang owners especially.
The car gets to 60 miles per hour in about five and a half seconds. That’s on its way to a top speed of 150 mph. The Pantera pushes out about 400 horsepower—far above the factory rating. The powerplant is mated to a five-speed ZF transaxle.
The price of other exotics is judged by a vehicle remaining “original.” But Pantera fans approach the coupe as a work in progress. Almost every example left got tons of improvements and upgrades since it left the factory.
Some of the fixes came from De Tomaso itself. The company solved many issues during the first few years of production:
- Engine cooling
- Cabin climate control
- Braking issues
But here’s where the De Tomaso is like nothing else among collector cars. Prime examples for sale today had issues fixed by a loyal Pantera group.
The Pantera Kit Car
In 1993, the car got new bumpers to line up with federal rules. It also got a rubber lip up front and protruding plastic-covered steel pipe at the back.
It was also possible for a brief period to buy a GTS package for the car. That included stickers and fender flares. It’s not unusual to see standard Panteras given a GTS makeover.
Yet, the ultimate in over-the-top looks comes in the form of GT5 kits. Those kits copy the ultra-rare continuation racers built by De Tomaso into the 1980s.
On top of all the authentic cars, there were many De Tomaso Pantera kit cars built. They often have fiberglass bodies. They aren’t collectible. But when they have a powerful Ford V-8s, they provide good, cheap fun.
Benjamin Hunting contributed to this article.
See De Tomaso Pantera Coupe Cars & Trucks for sale on eBay.
