[DeTomaso] craigslist updates - cars and parts

MikeLDrew at aol.com MikeLDrew at aol.com
Tue Mar 15 02:07:57 EDT 2011


In a message dated 3/14/11 10 26 29, michaelsavga at gmail.com writes:


> If that really is #1004, it should be the first customer Pantera every
> available since according to some, #1001, 1002 and 1003 were used for 
> Crash
> testing.
> 
> Any comments on this?
> 

I'd be willing to bet big bucks that it's actually #1006.   That car was 
the earliest known Pantera in the world with a very well-known history, and 
was sold to an owner in Florida, where the car in question is now being 
advertised for sale.   It's listed in the De Tomaso registry; the last time this 
car came up in conversation I detailed its history, as follows:

"The car was the sixth car built. It was one of the cars used for safety 
testing by Ogden Labs. It was supposed to be a barrier test car, but obviously 
that didn't happen. Instead it was sent back to Italy and sold by De 
Tomaso. All the original paperwork is with the car. It was sold to a sports car 
dealership in Modena. First owner was Sinsi Franco who lived in Palermo, 
Sicily. Reportedly he was involved with the Mafia, and in 1979 he was 
assassinated while climbing into the car.

The car was sold in an estate sale in 1982 to a US Army Colonel who was 
stationed in Germany (last name Williams). He later sold it to Gregg Lynn, who 
shipped it to the USA in 1984, where it was restored. He then sold it to 
Jack Houpe in 1989. A few years later, Jack sold it to Bill Borello in Houston. 
Bill did another complete restoration, before selling it to somebody 
unknown in Florida in the early to mid 1990s.

It has numerous features not seen on any but the very first Panteras, 
including a two-piece front grille. Like most Euro pushbuttons, it has two 
headlight switches (the one to the left of the steering wheel raises and lowers 
the buckets and the other one just turns the lights on and off). It has an 
inside deck lid release (in the left door sill), De Tomaso emblem on the dash. 
It also has a bunch of later Pantera stuff on it, probably a legacy of the 
restoration. It has later seats, a different steering wheel etc."

Mike



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