DeTomaso Mailing List: August 2000, Message #68

Yes, I saw the actual car at Shelby's birthday party a
few years ago.  The white one was nice from a few
yards away, but anything that was related to the
engine transplant was not pristine.  Of course, my car
is not pristine yet, either.

S. Black


--- Michael Frazier <fraziermichael@yahoo.com> wrote:
> 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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> > 
> 
> 
> __________________________________________________
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