Ford tested two nose configurations at first in their wind tunnel. The car was a scale model.
A high nose and a low nose.
Neither one worked well on the track.
Neither is even close to the final ones that worked although the faster they got the cars to go the more the nose needed to be reconfigured.
This picture from TransAmEd.
The current term of 'lifting' or 'stealing' others designs is referred to as 'modelling'.
Look at the angle of the front decklid in comparison to the Pantera. Particularly in the top ^ picture. Very similar?
Even IF you could patent a design in the US, if you can show 3 changes to it, it's becomes yours.
Lots of work for 'infringement lawyers' I think?
Over 200mph is something of recent development and consideration.
When the movie "Grand Prix" was shot in 68 or 69 the Formula 1 cars were only at around 180-185mph.
The Cobra Daytona Coupes were conceived of to break the 150mph wall the Cobra roadsters ran into. The result was a 175mph car.
GT's like the Pantera were conceived of as German Autobahn cars. So something like 150 was probably the limit of their design consideration or their imagination.
After all, that is 1968-1969 think.
A hydraulic lifter engine with a 5500rpm limit was enough to do that and relatively inexpensive to warranty?
A Boss 351 was available and could have been standard but was not in character with the Ford L-M luxury sports car Ford wanted with it's solid (noisy) lifters.
A 7200rpm limit engine significantly changes the top speed potential but that is not what was being marketed in the US.
In any event, there is an undeniable "family resemblance" on these cars. Ford has been an international family for a long time and the Pantera continues to be discovered at various levels including part of that family.
I'm happy with my relationship with mine but I don't understand why I don't get invited to the weddings and christenings in Italy and forget about the GT40 branch of the family in GB? Go figure...right?
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