While the number of USA GTS cars produced is often cited as 98 in books and articles, I have long believed the number was higher, and I believe the actual number is 150.
What I am talking about are the Panteras built with the “cosmetic” GTS package, intended for the USA market and designated with the VIN pattern of THGTxx0xxxx, compared to the non-USA-GTS pattern of THPNxx0xxxx.
I am not referring to the Euro-GTS, a rather popular model through out the rest of the world.
There were a number of 1974 model year GTS cars that were re-titled as 1973 model year cars in California, as a 1974 model would have different smog, and safety standards (and some other details). Perhaps the number GTS cars destined for California was 98. I really don’t know where this number originated, but I believe it is wrong.
One way to identify a USA GTS is that the Body Service Number (BSN) begins with 30001 versus 50001.
It would be a reasonable presumption that the numbers were assigned sequentially, with no numbers skipped.
(The BSN order is not necessarily equal the VIN order, example below.)
Thus, if there was a car with a BSN of say, 30149, then there are (at least) 149 USA-GTS identified cars.
The highest USA-GTS car in the DeTomaso Registry with a verified BSN is car #7223, with a BSN of 30135.
Car #7233 has a BSN of 30130.
This rather cleanly refutes the all too often repeated claim that there are “only 98 USA GTS” cars.
Again I’ll state that I believe there were 150 US-GTS cars produced.
I call on you to please comment and correct me if I am wrong (like just where the number 98 came from, or why California cars got re-titled as earlier model-year cars).
If anyone has facts that support or conflict with my statement, I’d love to review it!
Chuck Melton
The Registry Guy
www.DeTomasoRegistry.org
Original Post