quote:

My only question if this were brought to market is what would it do to the value of our current Panteras? Would they increase in value due to the renewed interest? Or depreciate because they will officially be outdated? I don't know if its only me, but after looking at these pictures, my car looks really old...

William,

Not to worry. Your Pantera is the "Classic" Pantera.
If (and this is a very big if) this car ever was to be built it would increase interest in the original.The new Pantera would have to cost $100K +. To keep costs under 100K it would have to be built on an existing platform of a current mass production "mid engine" car.
Is there one?

And no your car is not looking old. The styling IMO is timeless.

Without serious corporate cash the only way we (I use the royal "we" as i'm in England) could build this would be a rebodying of something existing.

A bespoke chassis isn't really an option due to safety tests etc - unless we talked to someone like Ultima about "borrowing" their Chassis

Wheelbase is the main consideration - there's nothing to say that building this over an existing Pantera would give the correct aesthetics unless you scaled the body from the relative wheelbase - just look at those MR2 Ferrari replicas!!!????

The profile looks a bit TVR. But they're front engined.

*Flash of inspiration!* How's about that burned out Guara that was knocking around as a donor?

It needs a foam/plaster/wood buck making up, then really decent fiberglass moulds taking off this.

We also would need to find whoever created it as we could get into copyright wranglings.

Proper minefield. I still want one tho'.

The company that should/ could do this is Ford. Built off the Ford GT platform.

Sadly, today Ford is in such poor financial shape they would never consider building it.

But could you imagine Ford selling them in their L&M stores ?
It would be 1971 all over again!

quote:

Originally posted by montecarlo296:
Panthera will be someone (Probably British)avoiding trademark violations.

......I'd still want one if it was called a Baghdad and ran on liquidised monkey brains.

Phil

I think it may b french... see the link below for a rent a car company in France.

http://www.frenchrivieracar.com/Selection.aspx

You could make it work in the US if it was done as a "kit" car, kind of like the Noble. Build a tube or a monocoque(sp) frame put it all together and sell it without an engine or drivetrain. Use Ford GT transaxles or even a corvette trans set-up. The manufacturer (seller) would then have a list of authorized drivetrain installers or you could do it yourself. This way you could bypass all the required DOT inspections.

Or

Do like the all the Cobra knock-offs, have someone build a chassis, have someone else make the body panels, etc, the car would still be a 1971 - 1974 DeTomaso Pantera with updated body panels. So essentially it would be a "replicar".

Is it possible or am I just talking out of my butt?

quote:

Originally posted by SoCal:
You could make it work in the US if it was done as a "kit" car, kind of like the Noble. Build a tube or a monocoque(sp) frame put it all together and sell it without an engine or drivetrain. Use Ford GT transaxles or even a corvette trans set-up. The manufacturer (seller) would then have a list of authorized drivetrain installers or you could do it yourself. This way you could bypass all the required DOT inspections.

Or

Do like the all the Cobra knock-offs, have someone build a chassis, have someone else make the body panels, etc, the car would still be a 1971 - 1974 DeTomaso Pantera with updated body panels. So essentially it would be a "replicar".

Is it possible or am I just talking out of my butt?

Fran Hall (Race Car Replicas) could almost certainly do them. We just need to arrange a group buy to cover the development and specialty parts tooling, but using their driveline (GT40 should be adequate) and suspension expertise we'd have a really serious machine.

http://race-car-replicas.com/

I'll be happy to take deposits into my Swiss account...

Ok, it looks like it’s a done deal. We will just tap into our PI reserve funds (George) and we will buy DeTomaso, then we will hire Santiago and Tjaarda for our new company (PI Detomaso Inc). With some hard work we should be able to start production of the new Pantera buy 2008. So I guess step 1 is for George to round up the funds ($,$$$,$$$) we have saved up. What do ya think about the plan?

quote:

Originally posted by ShotgunGrooms:
...step 1 is for George to round up the funds ($,$$$,$$$)...

No problem Brad ol' buddy, how much do ya need?

All joking aside, I know of DOZENS of business ideas funded by OPM that make this car idea seem as stable as money in the bank*

Does this sound familiar:
Our mission statement is to provide consumers an easy-access pet food website freeing them from the shackles of conventional brick-and-mortar pet food stores! We've raised 50 million dollars to date and wise investors should get on board or miss out on this great opportunity!

- now, a new Pantera still sounds crazy?

*Not George's bank in the picture

Hey...This sounds like a neat idea! OK...Lets see, George to round up the funds...Great! Tjaarda on broad...also Great! Now we get to Santiago?
OK...heres were I get tarred and feathered!?
I think Santiago would make a great company head/spokesmen? But don't let him near the capital funds! The Detomso name lives on!!!