Often called the golden era of automobiles, the 1960s gave us some of the greatest cars ever created. Whether we're talking about American muscle cars, Italian supercars, or British grand tourers, many rigs from this era are now highly sought-after and expensive classics.
The 1960s also spawned an exciting breed of cars that combined European styling and handling with big American V8 power. The extensive list includes rigs like the Bizzarrini 5300 GT, Jensen Interceptor, Iso Grifo, and the Monteverdi Hai 450. And, of course, who can forget De Tomaso, the Italian company that entered the V8 supercar market with the Mangusta in 1966 and then launched the Pantera in 1971.
Both drew power from Ford-sourced engines. While the Mangusta adopted small-block power used in the early first-generation Ford Mustang, the Pantera relied on the larger, 351-cubic-inch (5.8-liter) Cleveland and Windsor mills. And unlike the Mangusta, which went into the history books after only four years and 401 units made, the Pantera soldiered on for more than two decades, moving 7,260 examples.
That's not much compared to other Italian sports cars from the era, but the Pantera was successful enough to become the most iconic and recognizable De Tomaso ever made. To the point where early examples easily go for six-figure sums at public auctions. Now we've all seen nicely restored Panteras or unmolested, low-mileage examples being paraded at car shows. But have you ever seen a one-owner restomod that's been constantly modified for five decades? The 1972 version you see here is one of those rare cars.
And yes, you read that correctly, this Pantera has been with the same owner since new. And he began modifying it as soon as he bought it in 1972. Granted, that's not very obvious on the outside, but it becomes more apparent inside the cabin through a pair of modern seats with six-point harnesses and modern gauges in the dashboard.
But there's even bigger news under the hood. Yup, this Pantera still rocks a Ford-made V8, but it's not a Cleveland or a Windsor. The car was initially equipped with a 351 Cleveland, and the owner shares he had to swap it out for another similar V8 at some point. He then settled for a modern 5.0-liter Coyote, a powerplant that wrote history in the Ford Mustang.
This specific mill, however, wasn't sourced from a production pony car. It's actually an Aluminator crate engine that's based on the Coyote. It features some Mustang GT parts but is lighter and has many upgraded internals. There's no word on how much oomph it sends to the Pantera's wheels, but the engine is good for 460 horsepower before aftermarket mods. And that's an increase of more than 25% compared to the Cleveland-powered version.
But while we don't get insight on performance, the owner does share that the fact the Aluminator is some 200 pounds (91 kg) lighter than the Cleveland has "made a difference." I'm assuming it's not only quicker than before but also more agile when driven hard. All told, it's a sweet and clean restomod still worthy of the "De Tomaso" badge. Check it out in the video below.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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