DeTomaso Mailing List: August 2000, Message #58

Scott,
    I had the same conversation with Shelby several
years ago, not too long after those cars were in use.
Same response...never any intention to import
Panteras.
The cars were just for evaluation.  If you have seen
the (white?) turbo car in its original form, it looked
pretty crude.  I don't mean the workmanship was poor,
just very basic.  Engine covers etc. were very simple
sheet metal work.  Not too much time spent on
cosmetics.  For what it's worth...
Michael
RED3644.....wrenching a bare shell back together.

--- scott black <timepiecepr@yahoo.com> wrote:
> When I asked Shelby about the project a year ago, he
> said Chrysler was never going to actually import the
> car.  He said they wanted to achieve 2 goals with
> the
> program:
> 
> 1.  Study different configurations (i.e. front
> engine,
> mid-engine, etc.) for the upcoming Viper; they could
> get a Pantera easily (and cheaply because of the
> relationship with DeTomaso) to use as a mule 
> 2.  Generate positive motorsports press about
> Chrysler
> when the only good publicity they received was from
> old hemi motored cars 
> 
> He insisted they were never serious about selling a
> Mopar powered Pantera.  Whether this is the way it
> really happened, and whether or not it worked, you
> can
> judge for yourself.
> 
> Scott Black
> 
> --- MikeLDrew@aol.com wrote:
> > Jim wrote:
> > 
> > >So who really does have the rights to
> > import/distribute any car called a
> > Pantera at this point??
> > 
> > >>>DeTomaso.  They surrendered that right in 1972
> to
> > Ford when Ford purchased 
> > DeTomaso Automobili.  But then A. DeTomaso
> purchased
> > his company back from 
> > Ford (for a fraction of the cost) in 1974 and
> > regained the rights.  
> > 
> > As part of the Qvale agreement, Qvale took over
> the
> > rights to the name 
> > Pantera, but as part of the "divorce", DeTomaso
> got
> > the name back again.
> > 
> > >Didn't Lee Iaocca (sic) have the rights for
> awhile
> > when he was at Chrysler?
> > Seems I remember they put a low-powered Dodge V-8
> in
> > a prototype Pantera,
> > then decided it would never work.
> > 
> > >>>Nope.  Iacocca and DeTomaso are buddies from
> way
> > back, and Chrysler 
> > dabbled with the idea of producing a
> > Chrysler-powered Pantera as part of a 
> > joint venture (since they were already involved in
> a
> > joint venture with 
> > DeTomaso-owned Maserati, producing the TC by
> > Maserati.)  Shelby was also 
> > involved as a consultant.
> > 
> > At least two late Panteras were converted to Mopar
> > power; Shelby retained one 
> > (a white GT5 if I believe; Scott Black is familiar
> > with the car) and another 
> > is a red GTS now owned by Paul Donderwinkel, late
> of
> > England and now in New 
> > Zealand.  The Donderwinkel car boasts a twin-turbo
> > small-block Chrysler motor.
> > 
> > But at the same time, the Dodge boys had doodled
> up
> > a cartoon car they called 
> > the Viper.  They wheeled it out on the car show
> > circuit and the whole world 
> > went berserk for it.  And the TC by Maserati
> venture
> > quickly proved to be a 
> > major flop.  Finally, Chrysler had purchased
> > Lamborghini outright, and thus 
> > already had a corporate Italian mid-engined exotic
> > in their stable.  These 
> > unrelated events completely doomed any potential
> > Chrysler/DeTomaso Pantera 
> > venture.
> > 
> > Mike
> > 
> 
> 
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