DE TOMASO PANTERA Alejandro de Tomaso, an Italian-domiciled Argentinian, is one of the motoring entr

That was powered by a Ford V-8, and Ford distributed it in the USA for a period. A much firmer alliance with Ford centred on the Pan-tera - in the late 1960s, Ford had not discarded its 'performance image' and wanted a fitting car which could be produced in reason-able quantities (that alone ruled out the Mangusta).

First ideas were to call the new model Cobra or Puma, but eventually Pantera (Panther) was agreed. It was introduced for 1970, appearing to be a typical Italian `supercar' in most respects. It had a monocoque chassis/body, with a subframe supporting engine and rear suspension, wishbone and coil spring independent suspension all round, and sleek lines by Ghia (inevitably, as it was an associated company).

However, the Pantera was unlike others of the breed in that its engine was a 'no substitute for cubic inches' 5.8-litre (351cu in) V-8 supplied by Ford - making it more marketable in the USA, and at a substantially lower price than outwardly competitive models. The base version of the engine in what was to become the L produced 330bhp, while the GTS had a 350bhp V-8; roughly ten per cent of that power was to be lost as noise and emission restrictions were introduced later in the decade.

Respectively, they gave theoretical top speeds of 212kph (162mph) and 2 74kph (170mph), although in practice Panteras apparently fell a little short of those speeds. Acceleration was in the supercar class, however, roadhold-ing and handling were excellent, the ride was good, and accomoda-tion for two people and their luggage was reasonable. In 1971 an ambitious racing programme was announced, but like several de Tomaso track enterprises this one - although en-couraged by Ford - hardly took off.

Competition engines were prepared by the redoubtable Bud Moore, to give around 400bhp, but apart from details like extended wheel arches the cars appeared to be almost standard, although purposeful in black and red. The works team appeared only three times, one car at least leading the Monza 1000km before finishing fifth, while the Le Mans effort was almost a debacle, only one car surviving to finish 17th.

Thereafter, racing was left to independent teams, which achieved little with a car that was so heavy (unladen weight was over 1400kg). It was as a road car that the Pantera survived into the 1980s, despite the ending of Ford's involvement in 1974 and the later cessation of production of the Cleveland-built 5.8-litre V-8 engine. De Tomaso then turned to Ford of Australia for his motive power, which further reduced the performance of the cars: the 1980 GTS could boast only 300bhp at 5000rpm and production was down to 25 cars per year.

Specification Engine: L - Ford 90-degree V-8; 101.6 x 89mm, 5763cc; pushrod ohv; Autolite carburettor; 330bhp at 5400rpm. GTS - as above, but 350bhp at 6000rpm (see text). Gearbox: a five-speed manual. Chassis: unitary; front and rear suspension independent by wishbones, coil springs and dampers, with anti-roll bars; four-wheel disc brakes. Dimensions: wheelbase 251cm/99in; front track 146cm/571in; rear track 145cm/57in.