[DeTomaso] Earliest known Pantera

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/23/15 17 58 3, edducati at mac.com writes:


>    I called Wilkinson, they know of 1001, but do not have it.
> 
>>>He told me it's owned by the widow of Ing Bertocci, and he has made 
arrangements to buy it (years ago) but the deal hasn't been consummated.

> >   He also said the crashed cars never had serial numbers, good to know.
> 
>>>But not true.   The DOT certification testing, including crash testing, 
was performed by an independent company, Ogden Technology Laboratories, Inc, 
in Fullerton CA, from September through December 1970 (the crash testing 
may have happened later than that?).   The cars used were:

1005 (red)
1006 (yellow)
1010 (black)
1011 (green)

1005 was crash-tested, and failed miserably.   Here's the video of that 
test:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaobPuwXZbU

Now, it's possible that some cars were crashed in Europe and they had no 
serial numbers, but I tend to doubt the likelihood of that.   For years, a car 
that was crashed in Europe and passed the test was kept rattling around in 
the Vignale factory; there are numerous photos of it in books, in a light 
color (yellow or white) and covered with black grid markings, with the front 
end all caved in.   But the cabin is in much better shape than 1005 above.



> >>   So theoretically,A  if you have #1500, it is the 500th Pantera.
> >   So mine #1660 is the 660th car built ( June 71 ).
> 
>>>True dat.

> >>   He also confirmed that the first rectangular door handle was #1286,
> >   thus 1001 thru #1285 were pushbuttons ( subject to Italian build order
> >   as we all know ).
> 
>>>Totally false.   The first US import Pantera was #1286, and it was a 
pushbutton.   For years it was said that the first 75 cars imported to the USA 
were pushbuttons, and that may well be true, but there are plenty of 
pushbuttons with numbers higher than (1286 + 75, = 1361).   Either this is because 
some pushbutton cars in this range were sold in Europe, or if 100% of 
Pantera production at this time was coming to the USA, then the number is greater 
than 75.   The highest known pushbutton is #1383, and the earliest known 
square doorhandle car is #1387.   So the changeover happened somewhere in 
there....

Mike

P.S.   Although there is no longer a business called Ogden Labs, on a whim 
I just called the phone number listed for them in the original testing 
report.   To my amazement, a woman answered and told me that they were still in 
the same location, still doing DOT-type testing, but the business had a 
different name.   What's more, the woman speaking to me had been working there 
back when the Panteras were tested!   She had some fun stories to tell.   
Apparently they LOVED it when the Pantera contract came to them, as they would 
take the cars out on the road to go to lunch etc. and they turned a LOT of 
heads.

Unfortunately, they no longer have any of the records from those days--it 
all went to the landfill years ago.   I'm glad I have what I have, although 
it's very incomplete.

Fun stuff!

-------------- next part --------------
   In a message dated 7/23/15 17 58 3, edducati at mac.com writes:

        I called Wilkinson, they know of 1001, but do not have it.

   >>>He told me it's owned by the widow of Ing Bertocci, and he has made
   arrangements to buy it (years ago) but the deal hasn't been
   consummated.

     >   He also said the crashed cars never had serial numbers, good to
     know.

   >>>But not true.  The DOT certification testing, including crash
   testing, was performed by an independent company, Ogden Technology
   Laboratories, Inc, in Fullerton CA, from September through December
   1970 (the crash testing may have happened later than that?).  The cars
   used were:
   1005 (red)
   1006 (yellow)
   1010 (black)
   1011 (green)
   1005 was crash-tested, and failed miserably.  Here's the video of that
   test:
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaobPuwXZbU
   Now, it's possible that some cars were crashed in Europe and they had
   no serial numbers, but I tend to doubt the likelihood of that.  For
   years, a car that was crashed in Europe and passed the test was kept
   rattling around in the Vignale factory; there are numerous photos of it
   in books, in a light color (yellow or white) and covered with black
   grid markings, with the front end all caved in.  But the cabin is in
   much better shape than 1005 above.

     >>   So theoretically,A  if you have #1500, it is the 500th Pantera.
     >   So mine #1660 is the 660th car built ( June 71 ).

   >>>True dat.

     >>   He also confirmed that the first rectangular door handle was
     #1286,
     >   thus 1001 thru #1285 were pushbuttons ( subject to Italian build
     order
     >   as we all know ).

   >>>Totally false.  The first US import Pantera was #1286, and it was a
   pushbutton.  For years it was said that the first 75 cars imported to
   the USA were pushbuttons, and that may well be true, but there are
   plenty of pushbuttons with numbers higher than (1286 + 75, = 1361).
   Either this is because some pushbutton cars in this range were sold in
   Europe, or if 100% of Pantera production at this time was coming to the
   USA, then the number is greater than 75.  The highest known pushbutton
   is #1383, and the earliest known square doorhandle car is #1387.  So
   the changeover happened somewhere in there....
   Mike
   P.S.  Although there is no longer a business called Ogden Labs, on a
   whim I just called the phone number listed for them in the original
   testing report.  To my amazement, a woman answered and told me that
   they were still in the same location, still doing DOT-type testing, but
   the business had a different name.  What's more, the woman speaking to
   me had been working there back when the Panteras were tested!  She had
   some fun stories to tell.  Apparently they LOVED it when the Pantera
   contract came to them, as they would take the cars out on the road to
   go to lunch etc. and they turned a LOT of heads.
   Unfortunately, they no longer have any of the records from those
   days--it all went to the landfill years ago.  I'm glad I have what I
   have, although it's very incomplete.
   Fun stuff!