[DeTomaso] Panteras VS. Other collector cars

Erik Anderson eanderson at geotracinternational.com
Tue Nov 18 14:31:14 EST 2008


Interesting topic.

After wanting one for 25 years, I bought my Pantera in March this year.
It has always been my dream car - and I was surprised that it was so
affordable.  (I should add that I was fortunate to have a strong
Canadian dollar behind me and a buyer's market in the US, which equated
to the perfect storm for my investment.)  I was also considering a
Ferrari 355 or 328; however, upon further research I found that, in the
Ferrari, I would be buying a car that didn't perform as well and had a
bit of a "gotcha" element in terms of repair and maintenance.  I have
total respect for the Ferrari marque, but I wanted to drive the hell out
of my car and, as I have learned, you need good people behind you if you
want to drive hard.  The Pantera community has been the best surprise in
all of this: the people out there have really made my experience one to
enjoy.  I've had a little downtime with some minor issues and, with
absolutely no experience in engine repair, I was able to get my cat back
on the road (a few times!) thanks to the good folks on this list.
Thanks, guys!

I am hoping to build a car collection in future years and would love to
add a Cobra, GT40 and Lamborghini Muira or Countach.  However, the
Pantera will always be my dream car - so it was nice that I got to start
there!

Lastly, with regards to Pantera mods, I totally buy into the philosophy
that if it makes the car perform better or look better, go for it!  That
said, I bought a few Pantera publications when I began my search and was
aghast at some of the brutal "makeovers" that these beautiful cars have
received.  For example, there is absolutely no reason to mess with the
original Tjaarda design - so I can't understand why anyone would add an
engine so big that you have to hack apart the beautiful decklid - or
take it off altogether!  It just defeats the point, IMO.  Nevertheless,
I have seen some very nice examples of how the Pantera can be modernized
in a classy and respectful manner.

My personal belief is that this is a real car - not a kit or
reproduction.  There were only ~1500 Panteras produced in 1972 - the
year my cat was born.  How many survive from that year?  How many will
survive in 20 years?  There's a reason that the Muira went from a $60k
car 10 years ago to a more than $300k classic today: they ain't making
them anymore!

EA
#3528

 

-----Original Message-----
From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com]
On Behalf Of partsman912 at aol.com
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 6:04 PM
To: detomaso at realbig.com
Subject: [DeTomaso] Panteras VS. Other collector cars

Hi Everyone , I'm?new to this list but have been monitoring DeTomaso
sites for a while now. The help that the group provides car owners is
fantastic. I hope that I can contribute in the near future. I have owned
many different types of cars from many different countries and keep a
small collection of 4-5 cars. My question to experienced Pantera owners
is this : Why is the Pantera being left behind in the collector car
world compared to others in its class ?? I see several wonderful
Panteras for sale at reasonable prices , that appear to languish on the
market with hardly any activity at all, to?be relisted again and again.
This despite other marques that seem to create a feeding frenzy the
minute they it the market . I have some thoughts but I defer to the
experts.? Mike Hartman



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