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The Mangusta production figure is easy, and generally agreed upon, as 401.

Panteras are another game. George Pence posted the following back in February of '06. It is as well thought out as any.

Larry

Here’s the Pantera production info I have:

The first Panteras were fully hand assembled prior to the completion of the assembly line manufacturing facility at the deTomaso Automobili Fossalta plant. These early Panteras borrowed the pushbutton door operating mechanism from the preceding deTomaso sports car, the Mangusta. Because the door operating mechanism is peculiar to these early models, they are referred to as pushbutton model Panteras. The pushbutton Panteras were fully assembled at the Vignale Carrozzeria in Torino (Turin) Italy. The first pushbutton Pantera was chassis #1001 and was built approx March 1970

The last pushbutton Pantera is currently thought to be chassis # 1382, built in the spring of 1971.

Total pushbutton production is therefore 382 units.

Shipments of Panteras began reaching the US in May of 1971. Approximately 96 pushbutton Panteras were among the first Panteras shipped to the US. The other 286 pushbutton Panteras were sold by the deTomasos in markets outside the US, predominantly in Europe. By contract, the deTomasos were allowed to sell Panteras outside the US market, and Ford was obligated to provide Panteras for this purpose.

The assembly line produced Panteras began rolling out the door of the deTomaso Automobili Fossalta assembly plant, on the outskirts of Modena Italy, approximately April 1971. For reference, I refer to Panteras assembled on this assembly line as the Ford Era Panteras. The coaches of the Ford Era Panteras were manufactured by Vignale Carrozzeria. To calculate production numbers I have assumed the first Pantera to roll off this assembly line was chassis #1383, I have no corroboration for this number.

There is little to distinguish the 1971 and 1972 model Panteras. The two model years are collectively referred to as “Pre-L” models. The 1971 Panteras featured the 10.7:1 compression ratio 351C 4V motor, engine code K613J. Late in the model year however that motor was replaced by an 8.8:1 compression ratio motor, known as the Cobra Jet, engine code K621JG. The Cobra Jet motor was carried over into the 1972 model year with a slight change in the engine code, KK621SG. There were 2887 Panteras manufactured during the model years 1971 and 1972, I have no data regarding how many of those were delivered to the deTomasos or how many were shipped to the US.

Necessary for sales in the 1973 model year were 5 mph impact safety bumpers and an emissions certified 8.0:1 compression ratio motor, engine code KK623AG. A new model designation was applied to the US only Pantera with these new features, it was called the Pantera L. The first 1973 Pantera L, chassis number 4269, was manufactured in the summer of 1972 for a September 1972 introduction. The first 1974 Pantera L was chassis number 5900.

At the same time the Pantera L was introduced to the US market, a new model was also designed for the European market, the Pantera GTS. The Pantera GTS was equipped with several mechanical improvements to enhance the cars performance. Ford began delivering GTS model Panteras to the deTomasos for sale in their markets outside the US in the fall of 1972.

Ford offered a US spec Pantera GTS to the US market for the 1974 model year. Sales of that model numbered approximately 75 units. The US spec Pantera GTS was visually identical to its European cousin, but mechanically the US spec GTS was identical to the Pantera L.

Ford and the deTomasos parted company in September 1973.

Ford continued to build Panteras until approximately July 1974. The last Pantera shipped to the US by Ford was chassis #7380. I have no info if any Ford Era Panteras with a chassis number greater than 7380 were delivered to European customers. There were approximately 3112 Panteras manufactured during the model years 1973 and 1974; I have no data how many of those were delivered to the deTomasos as GTS models or how many were shipped to the US as Pantera L models.

If chassis #7380 was the last Ford Era Pantera (and chassis #1383 was the first), then there were 5998 Panteras assembled at the Fossalta plant during the Ford era. According to US NHTSA data, 5262 Panteras were shipped to the US. Subtracting the 96 pushbuttons that were imported, 5166 Ford Era Panteras, assembled at the Fossalta plant, were imported to the US. The remaining 832 Ford Era Panteras were therefore sold by the deTomasos in other (predominantly European) markets.

After parting company with Ford, the deTomasos established the Bruciata plant under the name deTomaso Modena (Ford owned the name deTomaso Automobili at that time). All post-Ford-Era Panteras were hand assembled at this facility. When Ford shut down the Fossalta assembly plant, the remaining unfinished coaches manufactured by Vignale, approximately 200 in number, were sold to the deTomasos. Panteras assembled from these coaches were numbered by the deTomasos beginning with chassis number 7501 and manufactured during the years 1975 and 1976. All of these coaches were assembled as Pantera GTS models; there were no Pantera L models manufactured after the Ford Era.

When the coaches acquired from Ford ran out, deTomaso contracted with Carrozzeria Maggiora to manufacture Pantera coaches. Pantera GTS models assembled with Maggiora coaches were built during the years 1976 and 1977 beginning with chassis number 9001. Less than 100 of these Panteras were assembled.

DeTomaso Modena and Carrozzeria Maggiora had a falling out, rumored over problems with the quality of the coaches, so in 1978 deTomaso contracted with Carrozzeria Embo to manufacture Pantera coaches for them. All remaining Panteras, including the Si model, were assembled using coaches manufactured by Embo.

The first Pantera GTS assembled with an Embo coach was numbered as chassis 9101, and built in 1978. The first GT5 was manufactured circa 1983, and the first GT5-S was manufactured circa 1985. All 3 Pantera models, the GTS, GT5 & GT5-S were manufactured concurrently. The final Pantera of this series, a GT5-S, chassis number 9562, was manufactured in 1989. A significant number of the Panteras assembled with Embo coaches were grey market imported into the US between the years 1979 and 1989, but exact figures are not available. The importers include Barry Gale & Steve Hitter (Panteramerica), Kirk Evans (Amerisport), George Stauffer (Stauffer Classics Ltd) and Steve Wilkinson (Panteras by Wilkinson).

The Pantera Si model was produced from 1990 to 1993; the chassis were numbered 9601 to 9641. The coaches for the Si model were manufactured by Carrozzeria Embo. Although this Pantera was intended for the US market, none were ever imported.

The deTomaso factory claimed there were a total of 7260 Panteras manufactured. My figures are as follows:

Pushbutton – 382
Ford Era – 5998 (or more)
Post Ford, Vignale coach – approx. 200
Post Ford, Maggiora coach – less than 100
Post Ford, Embo coach – 462
Si model – 41

Grand total = 7183
The brief history provided on the forums home page reflects my most current understanding of production history. That history is a living document that I edit as my understanding evolves. Go here:

DeTomaso Internet Community

There are a few errors in the document Larry pasted above.

The US NHTSA documents 5262 Panteras imported into the US, but this number does not include those sold by Ford in Canada.

cowboy from hell
Because I use my car as a semi-daily driver, I spend a lot of time spreading the Pantera gospel. There is one question I am constantly asked that I don't have an answer to: "how many of these are there?"

I alway say around 5000 were imported and probably half have been crashed, crushed or rusted away to nothing. Is that a good guess?

If there are 2500 of these cars on the road, where are they?

R.
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