One to Buy: ex-Vincenzo Cazzago, Giampiero Moretti, Ruggero Parpinelli 1972 / 76 De Tomaso Pantera Gr.4 / Gr.5
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As part of the deal that saw Ford take a controlling stake in De Tomaso Automobili, the US giant funded development of a Group 4 racing Pantera that would go head-to-head with the Ferrari Daytona and Chevrolet Corvette in the premier over three-litre class.
In total, 14 copies of the Pantera Gr.4 were completed between late 1971 and ‘72. Starting with a special lightweight Tipo 874A version of the Pantera’s steel monocoque, De Tomaso then uprated the engine, brakes, suspension, cooling, steering and fuel cells. The body came in for some massive fender flares and a couple of aero tweaks. Inside was a full complement of racing and safety gear.
Gr. 4 Panteras started with around 440bhp at the start of ‘72 but were putting out over 470bhp by the middle of the year. Surprisingly, lunched engines was the car’s weak spot.
Gr.4 Panteras were variously allocated to quasi-works satellite teams and favoured well-supported privateers. This car, chassis 2343, which is currently on offer at the Mitchell Curated showroom in The Cotswolds, was sold to Italian privateer Vincenzo Cazzago who raced under the pseudonym ‘Pooky’.
Cazzago had the Pantera looked after by the renowned Scuderia Brescia Corse outfit and put in a number of strong showings during 1972. Perhaps most memorable was the car’s maiden outing at the Monza 1000km World Championship event where 2343 took class pole and, despite a late engine failure, had done enough to claim seventh overall and second in class.
For 1973, chassis 2343 was sold to Giampiero Moretti who successfully ran the car under his famous Momo Racing Team banner across two seasons. For 1975 it was sold again, to Ruggero Parpinelli, who successfully raced and hillclimbed the now yellow Pantera.
The 1976 season saw new Group 5 regulations come into effect and cars that had already been homologated in Groups 1 though 4 could now be further uprated to a spectacular new Special Production Car trim that was much less restrictive.
Seeing an opportunity to create a Gr.5 Pantera, Parpinelli commissioned De Tomaso Automobili to carry out the work. What emerged was a radically re-styled machine complete with a Gurney Weslake Ford V8 and Hewland LG500 gearbox.
With his revamped machine, Parpinelli contested the epic 1976 Giro d’Italia. Having tangled with one of the highly fancied Marlboro-backed Lancia Stratos Gr. 5 entries, chassis 2343 was taped up only to later suffer an engine failure.
Afterwards, the yellow and green Pantera was not seen for many years.
More recently, the car has undergone a complete restoration to 1976 Giro trim. It comes with FIA HTP valid until December 2033 and a comprehensive spares package to include a pair of Peter Knight built Ford V8 engines with aluminium Gurney Weslake heads.
For more information visit the Mitchell Curated website at: https://www.mitchellcurated.com/
