When was the first Pantera presented at a show? Did they came out in 1971 or were already selling in Europe in the previous years?
Any info on the show first presented? Magazines? Articles?
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There is no evidence I am aware of that any Panteras were sold to the public anywhere before spring of 1971.
The deal with Ford was signed September 9, 1969. They had a "rolling chassis" by March 1970, the yellow car that was photographed among the Roman ruins. That car was pushed from location to location. All the early reports about the car were just relaying technical information provided by the factory, none of the earliest magazine reports involved anybody actually driving one. A car was shipped to America and displayed at the New York & Los Angeles Auto Expos in April & May of 1970. There is no evidence this car was a running car.
To the best of my knowledge, the pushbutton Panteras, assembled at the Vignale Corrozeria in Turin, were ready for sale to the public just prior to or about the same time as the earliest Pre-L Panteras rolled off the assembly line at the DeTomaso Fossalta assembly plant outside Modena.
One of the very earliest Panteras, Bjorn Carlsson's pushbutton, chassis 1014, is listed on Ben Tyer's web site as a 1971 model.
The book Pantera Ultimate Portfolio, available from our club store, is a collection of magazine articles from 1970 to 2000. It contains most of the ealy magazine articles, which makes it a very good historical document.
cowboy from hell
The deal with Ford was signed September 9, 1969. They had a "rolling chassis" by March 1970, the yellow car that was photographed among the Roman ruins. That car was pushed from location to location. All the early reports about the car were just relaying technical information provided by the factory, none of the earliest magazine reports involved anybody actually driving one. A car was shipped to America and displayed at the New York & Los Angeles Auto Expos in April & May of 1970. There is no evidence this car was a running car.
To the best of my knowledge, the pushbutton Panteras, assembled at the Vignale Corrozeria in Turin, were ready for sale to the public just prior to or about the same time as the earliest Pre-L Panteras rolled off the assembly line at the DeTomaso Fossalta assembly plant outside Modena.
One of the very earliest Panteras, Bjorn Carlsson's pushbutton, chassis 1014, is listed on Ben Tyer's web site as a 1971 model.
The book Pantera Ultimate Portfolio, available from our club store, is a collection of magazine articles from 1970 to 2000. It contains most of the ealy magazine articles, which makes it a very good historical document.
cowboy from hell
quote:Ultimate Portfolio
The use of the “Pre-L” term and when to use it is interesting. Technically the term “Pre-L” only applies to 1972 cars because that is the year that the L transition was made. Needless to say the 1972 transition was quite haphazard as everyone has seen with the strange combinations during the transition. There were no L cars in 1971, so all 1971 cars are just good old 1971 Panteras and no L reference. Thus only the 1972 Panteras before the L transition are actually Pre-L Panteras. When you say “Pre-L” everyone should know that it could only be a 1972 Pantera.
See what happens when you own a copy of the Ultimate Portfolio from the PI club store!
Mike
My dad bought the car on display at the 1971 San Francisco Auto Show. The car was sold as a '72, so I guess it's a pre-L. It's not really an early model (#3535), but it's the first Pantera we'd seen outside of pictures.
Ummm..I dont get the Pre-L meaning.
What happened before th 90's is not the pre-90's its the 80's. What is before the Lusso cars, should be..a PANTERA. Why do we call them Pre-L?
The only thing that comes into my mind is that there must be some technical differences between the 1971 cars and the 1972 cars just before the L cars???
George, any thoughts on that?
What happened before th 90's is not the pre-90's its the 80's. What is before the Lusso cars, should be..a PANTERA. Why do we call them Pre-L?
The only thing that comes into my mind is that there must be some technical differences between the 1971 cars and the 1972 cars just before the L cars???
George, any thoughts on that?
quote:Originally posted by Bianchito:
Ummm..I dont get the Pre-L meaning.
What happened before th 90's is not the pre-90's its the 80's. What is before the Lusso cars, should be..a PANTERA. Why do we call them Pre-L?
The only thing that comes into my mind is that there must be some technical differences between the 1971 cars and the 1972 cars just before the L cars???
George, any thoughts on that?
This page might help explain http://www.panteraplace.com/page74.htm
Mike
Pre-L is just a "trim level" name the hobby has given a particular model, because it lacked any other way to differentiate or designate it in conversation from other versions of the Pantera.
Push button is not a factory designation either.
Both are unofficial names or designations for that particular version, nothing to get too worked up over.
If I told you my friend just bought a Pantera, you might be inclined to ask "which version". If I answered you "its just a pantera" it would not satisfy you. But if I tell you "its a Pre-L" then you know exactly which version I'm talking about.
In the circles I hang-out in, pre-L designates any '71 - '73 Pantera that doesn't have pushbutton doors and didn't originaly have the large black L model bumpers.
The L model features 5 mph safety bumpers and a low emission motor, these features were mandated by the US government for sales in the 1973 model year. The first L model Panteras were manufactured in August 1972, 1 month into the 1973 production year, which began on July 1 1972. The Panteras built in July of that year before the factory commenced installing 5 mph bumpers, are technically 1973 Pre-L models.
cowboy from hell
Push button is not a factory designation either.
Both are unofficial names or designations for that particular version, nothing to get too worked up over.
If I told you my friend just bought a Pantera, you might be inclined to ask "which version". If I answered you "its just a pantera" it would not satisfy you. But if I tell you "its a Pre-L" then you know exactly which version I'm talking about.
In the circles I hang-out in, pre-L designates any '71 - '73 Pantera that doesn't have pushbutton doors and didn't originaly have the large black L model bumpers.
The L model features 5 mph safety bumpers and a low emission motor, these features were mandated by the US government for sales in the 1973 model year. The first L model Panteras were manufactured in August 1972, 1 month into the 1973 production year, which began on July 1 1972. The Panteras built in July of that year before the factory commenced installing 5 mph bumpers, are technically 1973 Pre-L models.
cowboy from hell
Mine came on the first boat. Car 1303, the production date on the door is 3/71, if that helps.
Ok how many came on the first boat?
I have 1306
I have 1306
I don't know how many for sure. Car 1286 was the first, I would guess 20-30 cars. Yours is right there also. I do know that mine was a demonstrater car that travelled on a Tractor trailer with 4 other cars from dealership to dealership to build interest up. My car ended up in Michigan at Ford, and was actually sold for the first time in 1972 to a guy in Westly Ca. He paid $6600 for it.