Guide: De Tomaso Pantera SI
Background
Ever since Alessandro de Tomaso established his own company in 1959, he had sought the investment of a major motor manufacturer.
That dream finally came true in 1969 when the Ford Motor Company purchased an 80% stake in De Tomaso Automobili.
Ford were desperate to bring a mid-engined model to market before their domestic rivals and De Tomaso was in the right place at the right time. Having been shown early mock ups of the forthcoming Pantera, Ford came on board and expected to sell several thousand examples every year.
In the US, the Pantera would be sold through Ford’s Lincoln Mercury dealerships. Alessandro de Tomaso retained the distribution rights for the rest of the world.
After some early teething problems, things initially went well. However, by 1974, the relationship between Ford and De Tomaso had soured.
For a while, Alessandro de Tomaso left the company, only to return when Ford pulled out. He bought his company back for a fraction of what Ford had paid and inherited a stockpile of around 200 unfinished cars.
Over the next few years, De Tomaso gradually moved the Pantera upmarket. The specification was enhanced with a more luxurious interior and wide-bodied variants like the GT5 and GT5S were introduced.
Thanks to its brawny new look, the Pantera became seen as a slightly less expensive alternative to a Lamborghini Countach.
As the 1980s drew to a close, the market for exotic and collectable motor cars boomed. Buyers were lining up to get their hands on what became the latest high yielding asset class. Accordingly, between mid 1988 and early 1990, orders for Panteras surged.
Against this backdrop of frenzied buying, De Tomaso decided to sanction one final iteration of the Pantera before a long-term replacement came on stream.
A thorough technical and cosmetic overhaul was undertaken ahead of the new car’s launch at the Turin Motor Show in April 1990.
The resultant SI was the most extensively modified Pantera yet seen. However, despite its comprehensive revamp, the car did not meet US safety standards.
Chassis
Under the skin was a modified version of the original steel monocoque complete with new tubular rear subframe for the engine, transaxle and suspension. The effect was a lighter and more rigid configuration than before.
The Pantera SI retained a 2515mm wheelbase and the same track dimensions as the outgoing GT5S.
Another area that came in for considerable attention was the suspension.
The double wishbone arrangement was recalibrated with 2.5-inch longer arms at the front and half-inch shorter arms at the rear. Adjustable coil-over shock absorbers were installed along with anti-roll bars at either end.
Compared to earlier iterations, the Pantera SI cornered flatter and was much more stable.
New cross drilled and ventilated brake discs and four-piston calipers were sourced from Brembo.
Neither anti-lock brakes nor power steering was offered.
Handsome 17-inch diameter Fondmetal cast magnesium wheels replaced the Campagnolo type that had been used in one shape of form since 1972. They measured 9-inches wide at the front, 12-inches wide at the back and originally came shod with low profile Michelin MXX tyres.
A new 85-litre fuel tank was installed up against the left-hand side of the rear bulkhead.
Engine & Gearbox
In the engine bay was a Type 99E overhead valve Ford 90° V8 as fitted to the concurrent Mustang GT.
Displacement was 4942cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 101.6mm and 76.2mm respectively.
In standard trim, these naturally aspirated and catalysed 16 valve engines ran wet-sump lubrication, fuel-injection and a compression ratio of 9.0:1.
Peak output was 225bhp at 4200rpm and 300lb-ft at 3200rpm.
Compared to the outgoing Windsor motor, this latest power unit was smaller, lighter and more efficient.
Once landed in Modena, the engines were uprated with new camshafts, cylinder heads, valves, intake manifolds and pistons. The compression ratio was increased to 11.0:1 and the latest electronic management was employed.
By the time De Tomaso had finished, the power rating had risen to 305bhp at 5800rpm and peak torque had increased to 333lb-ft at 3700rpm.
Compared to its predecessors, the Pantera SI also came with a new electrical system, new radiators and new oil coolers.
Transmission was via five-speed ZF gearbox, single plate clutch and limited-slip differential.
Bodywork
Perhaps the most radical departure from Panteras of old was the SI’s bodywork.
Marcello Gandini was commissioned to rework the already much-modified original.
So far-reaching was Gandini’s facelift that only the roof, glass area and dummy shoulder-mounted intake grilles remained.
New equipment included bumpers, doors, fenders, sills, wing mirrors and wheel wells while the front lid and engine cover were also custom fabrications.
The updated aero pack included one of Gandini’s trademark aerofoils at the base of the windscreen.
An enormous spoiler was also added at the back of the car. It worked in conjunction with the ground effect rear bumper which shrouded the exhausts.
Handsome new tail light clusters replaced the old Carello units.
Despite this major cosmetic surgery, the SI’s parentage was still obvious to anyone familiar with the original.
Interior
Inside, the changes were less radical.
New bucket seats were fitted. They came with fixed backs and could only be adjusted fore / aft.
Some of the switchgear and instrumentation was also updated.
The electric mirrors and air-conditioning system were imported from the Maserati Biturbo. There was also a new three-spoke leather-rimmed Momo steering wheel.
Otherwise, the dash, door panels, centre console and transmission tunnel architecture were all carried over.
Wood veneer inserts were applied to the dash and centre console as well as the door panels. Leather was used to upholster the seats, upper dash and knee roll, the door panel surrounds, the centre console and the the transmission tunnel.
Air-conditioning, electric windows and a CD player were standard.
Airbags were never installed.
Weight / Performance
De Tomaso quoted a weight of 1580kg, a top speed of 165mph and 0-62mph time of 5.4 seconds.
Options
Aside from interior and exterior colours, no optional upgrades were initially offered.
Launch
Unfortunately, within a few months of the Pantera SI’s launch, the frenzied speculator-driven collectable car bubble had burst.
By the time the first production cars started to roll out of the factory in late 1990, a global recession had begun to take hold.
The market for high end supercars dried up practically overnight and many firms were left with a surplus of unsold cars in what became the darkest time for prestige manufacturers since the mid 1970s energy crisis.
Sales of the Pantera SI were a fraction of what De Tomaso had hoped for.
Pantera SI Targa
In a last ditch attempt to stimulate demand, a Targa version was unveiled at the Brussels Motor Show in February 1993.
The Targas were converted by Carrozzeria Pavesi in Milan who had a long history of modifying Italian exotics into open top specials. Previously, Pavesi had worked on De Tomaso’s Longchamp Spyder and the Pantera GT5S Targa. In addition, the firm had carried out many private commissions for drop head Ferrari Testarossas, 400s and 412s.
Each Pantera SI Targa was reinforced to compensate for the lack of a roof. The removable body coloured Targa top could be stowed under the rear deck lid.
As the SI Targa retailed at 50% more than the Coupe, demand was understandably subdued.
Production
The Pantera SI remained in production until late 1993 and the last Targa conversion was carried out in early 1994. By this time, De Tomaso were just about ready to start assembling the first Guaras.
De Tomaso never got close to the hoped for 75 cars a year and, in total, just 41 Pantera SIs were produced.
Of these, 38 were sold to customers, two were crash tested and the last car (chassis 9041) was retained by the factory.
Four cars were converted to Targas: chassis numbers 9636, 9637, 9638 and 9639.
Notably, chassis 9637 and 9639 came with a Getrag six-speed gearbox instead of the normal five-speed ZF unit.
Pantera 200
One Pantera SI was completed in right-hand drive. It was equipped by the UK importer, Emilia Concessionaires, with a twin turbocharged engine and marketed as the Pantera 200.
No further copies were made although another car (9610) was later converted to right-hand drive by the factory between 2002 and 2003.
Pantera SI GT1
Also in Britain, chassis 9628 was converted into a GT1 racing car by ADA Engineering. It was raced extensively between 1994 and 1997 during which time it picked up several wins in the British GT Championship.
Legacy
Although the Pantera SI was a very well engineered machine, from a commercial perspective it marked a disappointing end to the Pantera story.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: De Tomaso Automobili - https://detomaso-automobili.com/ & Erik Fuller courtesy of RM Sotheby’s - https://rmsothebys.com/
