1985 DeTomaso Pantera GT5

The DeTomaso Pantera made its debut in Modena in March of 1970 and remained in production until 1993 with over 7,000 examples produced. It wore a designed by the Italian design firm Ghia's American-born designer Tom Tjaarda. It was given a steel monocoque design and the early models were powered by a 351 cubic-inch Ford Cleveland V8 engine. The engine was mated to a ZF transaxle and power-assisted disc brakes were located at all four corners.

In 1975, Ford stopped importing the Pantera into the United States, after having sold around 5,500 examples. DeTomaso continued to build the car for nearly two decades for sale in the rest of the world. A small number of cars were imported to the U.S. by importers such as Panteramerica and AmeriSport. Wisconsin businessman George Stauffer assumed importation of the new Pantera GT5 in the early 1980s.

By early 1980, the Pantera lineup included the GT5, which came with bonded and riveted-on fiberglass wheel arch extensions, spoilers, and a rear wing, all typical of GIA Group 5 practice. They had upgraded brakes, larger wheels and tires, and a luxurious interior. In November of 1984, the GT5-S model replaced the GT5 and came with a unique wide-body kit. They had a single piece flared steel fenders replacing the prior bolt-on fiberglass flares of the GT5. They also had a smaller steel front air dam.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2019