De Tomaso Pantera – 1972

Cette collection est une adaptation de 24H Le Mans ® Le auto delle corsa più leggendaria al mondo Éditeur : Centauria Editore s.r.l.

De Tomaso Pantera

The powerful but somewhat delicate engine of the Italian-American GT car faced its rival, the Corvette, in its first 24 Hours of Le Mans - a challenge between two of the heaviest cars in FIA Group 4.

The N°30 De Tomaso Pantera with drivers Fernand de Bavière and José Juncadella, one of the two cars entered by the Spanish Montjuich team in the 1972 Le Mans 24 Hours, was forced to retire, as was the second Pantera, due to engine failure. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés.

Created to rival the Chevrolet Corvette on the American roads, the De Tomaso Pantera is ready to take up the sporting challenge once again. Manufactured in Italy since 1970 (a solution requested and supported by Ford) by the company founded by Alejandro De Tomaso, the Pantera proved to be an interesting car for competition. With lower costs than other contemporary GTs, such as the Ferrari GTB/4 and Porsche 911, and with its mid-mounted V8 motor, this car was also easy to prepare.

It’s encouraging potential made it an interesting outsider in the new FIA Group 4, which included GTS (Grand Tourisme Spécial) models derived from production Sports cars and of which at least 500 units were produced each year. De Tomaso jumped at the opportunity and, between the end of 1971 and the beginning of 1972, built a series of 14 racing cars: six GT4s also homologated for use on the street and eight race-ready Group 4s, almost all of which were then sold on to private teams, including Spain's Montjuich, Belgium's Dubois and the Société Franco-Britannic de Paris.

1. In addition to the suspension, the steering system on the Pantera racing cars was changed to reduce the gearbox ratio.

2. The wheel arches were widened by almost 10 cm to cover the larger, wider wheels.

The Pantera racing car inherited its bodywork and double wishbone suspension from the street version, but was lower and fitted with enlarged arms and wings to accommodate larger, wider wheels and more effective brakes. In addition, the car was subjected to a weight reduction programme, including a series of perforations in the chassis. The Ford Cleveland V8 engine, prepared by Bud Moore's engine specialists, was increased from 330 bhp for the street model to over 450 bhp.

1. The 5.8-litre "351" V8 engine, prepared for competition, benefited from high-compression aluminium cylinder heads, a different distribution system and new carburettors, but was still wet-sump lubricated.

2. The Pantera's monocoque frame was more simple than the centrally reinforced frame of other De Tomaso models, but was less rigid. It was reinforced by some teams with integrated subframes.

The first Panthers to run on the circuit belonged to the three private teams mentioned above.

The official preliminary tests were held at Le Mans on 19 March 1972. The cars proved to be fast but vulnerable, with problems affecting engine reliability. Two of the three cars failed to finish, while the No. 30 GT4, driven by Herbert Müller and Cox Kocher for the Montjuich team, finished 6th. This was followed by good race results for several De Tomaso Pantera cars, in particular at the Grand Prix d'Europe GT de Paris on the Montlhéry circuit in April, the second qualifying round of the European GT Trophy, where the GT4 of the Franco Britannic team, with Frenchman Jean-Marie Jacquemin at the wheel, finished second.

A week later, Valtellina Racing secured a class-leading fifth place at the 1,000km of Monza.

A. The two-tone scheme of the Pantera race car, with black bonnet and rocker panels, was to be adopted on the street versions of the GTS, also launched in 1972. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés.

B. The street versions of the Pantera had 4 exhaust outlets; the racing versions had 2, with 2 "4 in 1" manifolds inspired by the Ford GT 40.

Although these races were shorter than the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the weaker points of the engines were put to the test. The Sarthe event welcomed five Panteras, but the Scuderia Brescia Corse car failed to qualify, and of the four that started, three were forced to withdraw due to engine failure. The remaining Pantera, driven by Jacquemin and Belgian Yves Deprez, was involved in an endurance duel with the Chevrolet Corvette C3 of Luigi Chinetti's North American Racing Team. In the end, the American car powered by a 7-litre V8 and driven by Robert Johnson and Dave Heinz claimed the victory, finishing just two laps ahead of the Team Dubois Pantera.