De Tomaso Pantera

De Tomaso Pantera (1972 )

De Tomaso Pantera is the name of a car model of the car maker De Tomaso.

Concept

De Tomaso Pantera with the developed ( "Panther "), a new sports car to succeed the Mangusta, and set him in March 1970 at the New York motor show before. The car was designed primarily for the North American market. The sales of the car in the U.S. was regulated in a comprehensive agreement between De Tomaso and the Ford Motor Company, whose other components included, among other things, the sale of the Ghia at Ford. Ford agreed to sell the equipped with a Ford engine Pantera 's own Lincoln - Mercury dealers in America.

The Pantera was to be sold from the beginning in larger numbers than was the Mangusta ever managed. The Pantera had a good start in 2506 were built in 1972, in 1604 there were in 1973, but then failed Ford USA for bad workmanship and the energy crisis of his support. The production rate of Pantera fell after the peak of the early 1970s until the end of the decade to less than 50 per year from.

Technology

The Pantera was in many ways an improved version of its predecessor, the Mangusta.

Gian Paolo Dallara developed the chassis of the Pantera, in which the weight was better distributed than in the Mangusta 57% were on the rear axle. In addition, the interior was more spacious, and there was a larger trunk. Air conditioning and electric windows were standard since Mangusta De Tomaso all vehicles.

Furthermore, the derived from the racing 351 Cleveland were ( 5.7 l) with four carburettors instead of the 289/302-Motoren (4.7 / 4.9 l ) of the Mangusta now - mounted 4V. This engine remained the vehicles by the end of the 80s. The last GT5 -S Pantera were equipped with imported from Australia Ford 351 Windsor. The gear was locked to the locking differential and mounted on the rear axle in order to achieve better focus.

The Pantera was available in a variety of power levels: 1971 there was the Cat in America with 243, 228 or 206 kW (330, 310 or 280 hp). In 1972, the selection was shrunk due to new emission regulations on 209 or 196 kW ( 285 or 266 hp). 1973 and 1974 was to have (266 hp), only the 196 kW version.

In Europe, the Pantera L made ​​in the 70's 221 kW ( 300 ) PS, the GT3 had 243 kW (330 hp), the GTS ( with wider fenders ) had 257 kW (350 hp), and the rare GT4 was with 368 kW ( 500 hp) specified. In the 80's were like the De Tomaso Deauville and the De Tomaso Longchamp 198 kW ( 270 hp) stated, also there was a GT5 and a GT5S. All versions had the Ford 5 0.8 -liter V8 engine.

Body

The Pantera owned unlike some other sports cars of its time, a simple but stable self-supporting body. Tom Tjaarda by Ghia had designed the shape of this brutal act two-seater. The wedge- shaped line was independently; it lacked any curves that were characteristic example for the contemporary creations of Pininfarina. The interior was - not least in view of the notified American clients - generously sized, but the vehicle was suffering from a lack of noise insulation and heating of the interior.

Over 20 years of production, the baseline was maintained. Over time, there were various body extensions such as fender flares and spoilers. In 1990 appeared a thoroughly revised second series.

The first series

As usual, in Modena vehicles built the de Tomaso plant not fully itself only in Modena final works were carried out; the body shells were rather constructed in a number of independent workshops:

• The prototype was created in 1969 with Ghia.
• The series vehicles were produced from 1971 to 1974 at Vignale. By April 1971, the entire production of the Pantera was alone at Vignale; this should 382 units have arisen. As of May 1971, decreed de Tomaso in Modena its own production line in which the prepared Vignale bodies were finished craftsmanship. The change between the Panteras made ​​solely at Vignale and later, completed with de Tomaso models is to understand externally on the door handles of the Pantera. The pure Vignale models include push-button door handles, as they had been the previous Mangusta; they are referred to in the U.S. as so-called push-button Panteras. The later, completed in de Tomaso Pantera had rectangular door handles. After the alliance was broken between de Tomaso and Ford 1974, de Tomaso could no longer rely on the belonging to Carrozzeria Vignale Ford for additional vehicles. 1975 and 1976 processed and therefore de Tomaso sold Panteras no newly manufactured, processed but a number of car bodies, which had been produced to 1974 at Vignale and not yet sold. These were the designated internally as a post- Ford Panteras the chassis numbers 7381-7505; in total there were 125 copies.
• From 1977 to 1978 was de Tomaso Pantera bodies produce at Carrozzeria Maggiora in Turin. Considerable manufacturing defects led to de Tomaso ended the connection with Maggiora quickly.
• From 1979 all Pantera and the de Tomaso Longchamp and its sister model, the Maserati Kyalami in Embo Carrozzeria in Turin originated.

Second series: De Tomaso Pantera GTSi (1990 to 1993)

20 years after its release, the Pantera has been thoroughly revised. In 1990, the new version, the Pantera was unveiled in Turin, the sales began immediately afterwards.

The chassis, as well as the Brembo brakes were new designs, the exterior was revised by Marcello Gandini, who had been 20 years previously designed classics like the Lamborghini Miura and the Lamborghini Countach and about the same time the design for several Maserati, including the Maserati Shamal or the new edition of the Maserati Ghibli developed. The car now looked round, without having lost its character. It had widened fenders, a tiny spoiler below the rear window and a very large wings, the nature of the Ferrari F40 at the rear of the body. The first models were built with sheet metal parts of its predecessor and brought into shape with panels made ​​of GRP. After some time, the body was again manufactured entirely in metal. The spoilers were partly made of carbon fiber. Under the slightly softer form still sat a V8 mid- engine, but now taken with 5.0 liters of displacement slightly smaller and of the current series of the Ford Mustang. Through clever tuning and precise fuel injection system of the engine reaching 305 hp. A version with twin turbochargers and 450 hp was planned, but was never sold. He had bigger wheels (8.5 "x17 inch ET64 / 12" x17 inch ET26 Fondmetal alloy wheels ) and larger brake discs, which had grown to the increased performance. The steering was still not power assisted. Four vehicles were delivered after conversion at the Carrozzeria Pavesi as Targa, two with Getrag six-speed manual gearbox, the De Tomaso Guarà was also used later. Like its predecessors, was also the Pantera 90 a snappy car with enough character to be an individualist. However, the legacy of the 60's was clearly visible, because the car was missing a lot of high-tech extras that have long belonged to the standard at Ferrari. However, De Tomaso did not care and said: "We would like to make the Pantera 300 years, the market will decide ... ".

Production figures

The Pantera is by far the most-produced model of de Tomaso. De Tomaso was produced in 9500 units. This number is likely to be exaggerated. Today is spoken by 7260 actually produced Panteras. The production numbers are very inconsistent in itself. While de Tomaso, reached significantly four -digit annual production figures in the early years, when sales of the Pantera was ensured in the U.S. through contracts with Ford, the output fell dramatically from 1975. Only rarely three -digit discharges per year were reached. In the 1980s, as Alejandro de Tomaso was fully engaged in the restructuring of Maserati, were sold annually with difficulty even 50 Panteras; from the last series, which was produced between 1990 and 1993, there was finally only a dozen copies a year. In particular:

• Between 1971 and 1974 a total of 6,380 Panteras the Ford specification ( 382 so-called Push Button Panteras thereof) incurred in Vignale
• Between September 1974 and 1976 a further 125 Panteras were built by Vignale body from unused remainders.
• Between 1977 and 1978, 74 Panteras came at Maggiora.
• Between 1979 and 1990, Embo built a total of 463 Panteras of the first series.
• From the last series, the so-called Pantera GTSi, incurred in Embo between 1990 and 1993 a total of 41 copies.

Versions of the Pantera

Over 22 years of manufacturing various modifications of Pantera emerged. These included:

• In the 1970s, de Tomaso built the prototype for a three-seat Pantera. The third, quite narrow seat was installed recessed on the transmission tunnel and offered no acceptable travel comfort. Among other reasons of space, another engine was installed here. It was a 3.0 liter six-cylinder of the German subsidiary of Ford. This De Tomaso Pantera 290 called car remained a one-off.

• A total of 14 vehicles were delivered from the factory after conversion by the Carrozzeria Pavesi in Milan as Targa. In addition to several Pavesi Pantera coupes have subsequently converted to Targas.

• Notwithstanding the numerous factory options to individualize the Pantera, the car was object of several tuners on the European and American market, prepares an changes to the body and on the drive technology. Among the most successful among European tuners, the company Xaver Jehle was in Schaan, Liechtenstein. In addition to extensive body modifications Jehle also offered an intensive engine tuning. By means of one or two turbochargers were services 600-1000 PS are generated. Of particular importance was the fact that Jehle deliver almost all conversions on request with catalyst was prepared and thus made ​​to factory cars achieved a further technical advantage. The activities of Jehle ended in 1992.

Specifications (1971 )

Engine: V8

Bore × stroke: 101.6 x 88.9 mm

Cubic capacity: 5769 cm3

Power: 243 kW (330 hp)

Transmission: Five -speed manual, rear-wheel drive

Chassis: Unitary

Suspension: single to double wishbones front and rear ( rear lower an additional toe-in - hand drive), coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, rack and pinion steering

Brakes: disc brakes

Body: steel structure ( coupe )

Maximum speed: 256 km / h

Specifications (1990 )

Engine: V8

Bore × stroke: 101.6 x 76.2 mm

Cubic capacity: 4942 cm3

Power: 224 kW ( 305 hp )

Transmission: Five -speed manual, rear-wheel drive

Chassis: Unitary

Suspension: single to double wishbones front and rear ( rear lower an additional toe-in - hand drive), coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, rack and pinion steering

Brakes: disc brakes

Body: steel structure ( coupe )

Maximum speed: 270 km / h

Swell

• Halwart Schrader, George Clerk: "Italian sports car", 1st edition 1999, ISBN 3-613-01988-4

Competitors

Intermeccanica Indra