1974 | De Tomaso Pantera

• Supplied new to the USA

• 5.8-litre Ford V8 engine

• Recent restoration work carried out in the UK

• Beautifully presented in original colours

The De Tomaso Pantera offers an extremely attractive blend of Italian styling and American V8 power, and is the most famous model to be built by the mercurial Modena-based company. 

The beautiful example being offered for sale here was built early in the Pantera’s long production run. Its first owner was Wayne Corcorian of Escanaba, Michigan. Corcorian bought it in June 1974, had Ziebart rustproofing applied, kept it garaged and only ever used it on dry summer days. 

The Pantera then passed in 1978 to its second owner, who lived in San Jose. They kept the car for the next 13 years, after which it was acquired by another California-based enthusiast. In 1994, Don Gerig bought the car and embarked on a full restoration, a process that was eventually completed by the next owner, Paul Davey, who was a friend of Gerig’s. 

In 2003, the restored Pantera was bought by someone who knew Gerig and Davey and who lived in the same town in California. The Ford engine was rebuilt during his ownership, after which the car was exported to Denmark – from where it was sold to the UK in late 2014. 

The Pantera’s new owner was an experienced restorer who had previously rebuilt a Citroën SM, and even though he judged the De Tomaso to be basically sound and entirely usable, he soon set about making it even better. He converted it to the better-looking European-spec bumpers, rebuilt the suspension, steering and braking systems, repaired the wiring where needed, and treated the Pantera to a bare-metal respray after carrying out the necessary metalwork repairs. 

Used only sparingly since the work was completed, this early Pantera now offers supercar-baiting performance at a fraction of the price of an equivalent Ferrari, Lamborghini or Maserati – just as it did when it first rolled out of the Modena factory and set sail for the USA.