[DeTomaso] Claude DuBois Pantera
MikeLDrew at aol.com
MikeLDrew at aol.com
Fri Jan 2 12:44:12 EST 2009
In a message dated 1/2/09 9 27 13, lashdeep at yahoo.com writes:
> Any insider info on this ebay car?
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&
> item=220334873186&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=012
>
> If there was a discussion already on the car, please excuse me. I must have
> missed it in my backed up mailbox.
>
>>>First I've seen of it. For starters it's not a 1975 Pantera, it's a '73.
It has a Euro GTS dashboard setup, as opposed to an L-model interior.
It's impossible to tell from the photos whether it has a GTS front end (which
used Pre-L architecture) or the Euro L front end (which housed the turn signals
in individual pods, and had trim signal-less bumperettes in the front). It
has the one-piece rear bumper however. It also doesn't have the GTS exhaust
system.
Odd that it doesn't have a European speedometer; that may have been changed
when the car was brought to the USA?
The photos are terrible so it's hard to discern what is going on with the
side marker lights. There were several different varieties of marker light used
on the European cars, depending on when they were built and which market they
were intended for, and this car may have been further modified with generic
add-on lights to federalize it for the USA.
>
> What is the significance of the Dubois lineage other than his firm was
> responsible for original delivery of the car?
>
>>>Nothing whatsoever, other than it clearly establishes this car as being a
European-spec car as opposed to the mass-produced USA Ford-spec cars. When
it was new, it could have been a fair bit nicer than a standard Pantera, in
terms of interior finish, etc.
Unlike American Pantera buyers who got their cars one way, and one way only,
in Europe you could order your Pantera a la carte, meaning there was a long
list of options available. Uprated brakes, sway bars, exhaust, engine,
interior, etc. etc. etc. were all there for the taking.
In the photos, there's no evidence than any of these options were chosen on
this particular car. It's possible that they are there, and just not
documented, but it's more likely that this was a low-budget Euro-spec Pantera.
Claude still has the records for every De Tomaso car he ever sold. I'll ask
him about it.
Mike
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