javier romagosa
On a day like today it is auctioned the New Panther, the last car presented by Alejandro De Tomaso in 1999. Without mechanics, interiors or windows, it is basically a late design by Marcello Gandini that served the Italian-Argentine manufacturer to commemorate a somewhat low doldrums 40th anniversary. And it is that the brand did not do anything of profit between 1990 and 2004, when it was liquidated after the death of its founder.
The New Panther It did not go beyond the prototype state but it is certainly a beautiful sculpture that, it is said, even influenced the lines of the Bugatti Veyron. Apart from for your contemplation, it will help me to briefly tell you the story of De Tomaso and the original Pantera, a car that raised passions during the 19 years that its production lasted ...
Alejandro De Tomaso and his Panther
Alejandro De Tomaso, born into an important Argentine family, emigrated to Italy in the early 50s after conspiring against the government of Juan Domingo Perón. There he became a F1 driver not too successful that he raced between 1953 and 1959 and, following his sports car experience, founded his own car brand, De Tomaso Automobili SpA.
Since the early sixties he produced sports and luxury cars by hand and even went so far as to design a Formula 1 car for Frank Williams. With the production of the sports model Vallelunga from 1963 begins The Golden Age of the brand which lasted until approximately 1975. During this time, De Tomaso produced the unforgettable Mangusta, Deauville, Longchamp and, above all, Pantera.
The One With Tomaso Pantera (1971) It represents the model with the highest production of the Italian-Argentine banner. With around 7.000 units produced, the Pantera was - and is - the perfect hybrid: A successful Italian-designed monocoque chassis dressed in a two-seater body drawn by the legendary Tom Tjaarda (Ghia) and powered by a very full 8-cubic-inch Ford V351 engine. (5.7 liters) and 330 hp located in a central position.
The technical attribute that defines the model is its ZF gearbox located in a transaxle position; that is to say, on the rear axle, which gives it a balanced distribution of weights. This car was so interesting in its day that even Ford was involved in its production between 1971 and 1974 with the purchase of shares in the De Tomaso partnership and the transfer of the Mercury and Lincoln dealer infrastructure for commercialization in America.
Unfortunately, Alejandro De Tomaso's luck changed with the Oil Crisis of the 70s. From then on, Ford abandoned the Pantera project and the Argentine was left with a factory in Modena (Italy) unable to produce cars in numbers or standards. finishing your golden age. On a personal level, his organizational capacity didn't help either; However, the Panteras continued to be made by hand and were sold in small quantities until 1990.
Throughout all this time De Tomaso owned Maserati (the Biturbo are his thing), Innocenti, Ghia, Vignale or Moto Guzzi, among other important brands, which makes him one of the great entrepreneurs of the History of Motorsports. Today sports cars such as the De Tomaso Mangusta or, above all, the Pantera, continue to demonstrate the value of their passion in classic car races held throughout the globe.
[su_spoiler title = »Links to CC Photos» style = »fancy»] - Mango, Deauville, Longchamp [/ Su_spoiler]
