1985 Detomaso Pantera GTS 'GT5 Spec' Coupe

Description

Styled by Ghia’s Tom Tjaarda and engineered by Giampaolo Dallara, Alejandro de Tomaso’s Pantera (Panther in Italian) was born in 1971 as the successor to the beautiful but underdeveloped Mangusta and, with Ford’s backing, evolved into one of the world’s best-selling supercars. With a production life spanning an extraordinary 19 years, the Pantera stayed true to the original concept of a Latin exotic powered by reliable American underpinnings, the 351ci Cleveland V8 providing plenty of brute force. Mid-mounted, the engine was mated to an aluminium-cased ZF five-speed transaxle with integral limited-slip diff, while race-bred suspension - comprising wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bars and telescopic shock absorbers all round – combined with fat rubber provided exemplary handling. Early Panteras could manage 0-60 mph in 5.5 seconds and a top speed of around 165 mph, dual circuit ventilated disc brakes (inboard at the rear) keeping all that speed in check. Fast forward to the early 1980s and the Pantera had matured into an altogether more sophisticated supercar, with flared guards covering beautiful Campagnolo rims shod with the widest section Pirelli P7s available, front spoiler and a Countach-inspired rear wing. Using Australian-sourced 351 Clevelands running a single Holley four-barrel carburettor by this stage, power was up to 350bhp at 6000rpm in standard form, the latest Pantera GT5 model competed directly with Lamborghini’s Countach and Ferrari’s 512 BBi. Just how many GT5 Panteras were made is the subject of much conjecture, but a reliable guess would be around 240, of which only a handful were specified with right-hand drive. In the early 1980s Australian businessman and race car driver Ken Matthews set-up an assembly operation behind his showroom in Haberfield (Sydney) landing Panteras in Completely Knocked Down (CKD) form from Italy using 5.8 litre V8s stockpiled after local production ceased. In 1984 Paul Halstead of The Toy Shop fame entered the picture, buying out Matthews and establishing De Tomaso Australia, which continued building GT5s until early 1986, although cars continued to trickle out of Italy (in revised GT5S form) until 1990.