Skip to main content

Closed15 replies

Question for the Pantera History Buffs

57545754If you're not kickin' up dust, you're collectin' it!
Here's a question for the Pantera history buffs.

As most (if not all) of us know that Tim Horton was killed in 1974 when he crashed his Pantera while heading back to Buffalo from Toronto after a hockey game. Most reports I've seen say the car was a white 1974 Pantera, but at a recent show I was talking to a retired officer who was on the scene and seems to recall it being yellow (I think I've seen at least one article that reported the same thing).

Does anyone know for sure what colour the car was (so I can be accurate when asked in the future)?

Also, does anyone know the VIN (just curious about the month of manufacture and approximate sequence - I know, I know). That should keep someone busy for a while Wink

Thanks!
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

markcharltonmarkcharltonOld enough to know better and still young enough not to care. My '71 Pantera
Russ,

A few years ago I spoke with a reporter who was doing a lot of research into Tim's death and he told me that the car was a white 1972. Other reports say it was a 1973. Of course, since my car appears identical (to a '72), I tell people that he died in my car and I bought the wreck and just had it bondo'd and painted. Good luck finding the VIN unless you can source the selling dealer and get their records, which maybe nobody has yet tried to do. That would confirm all the details, of course.

Mark
57545754If you're not kickin' up dust, you're collectin' it!
Ok, 125 views and all we've learned is that Mark's car is held together with Bondo and Paint (A shocking revelation to say the least). Wink

The reporter coming up with the car being a '72 is interesting, the car was supposed to have been given to Tim as a signing bonus for playing in the '73/74 season, so unless it was sitting in the showroom for quite a while, one would have expected it to have been a '74 car built in late '73 (just speculating here, on the other hand, maybe the deal was struck a year or more in advance) - but as for the colour, sounds like that's another source saying it was white.
57545754If you're not kickin' up dust, you're collectin' it!
Lots of good information in those links, lots of continued support for the car being white, so I'll assume the fellow I was speaking to may have faded memories (after 36 years). I'm surprised to hear from you guys that it may have been a '72 car, but I learn something new everyday here!
davidbdavidbMember
I spoke to the reporter who did the story a few years ago. I had followed his accident right at the time, because a) I liked him as a player, b) I thought he got shafted when we he was traded, and c) I loved the Pantera even then.

For whatever reason, this could be looked at as some sort of "coverup." That may have been related to his drinking or the pills (for pain relief) that he was taking - maybe combined with drinking.

A possible "coverup" can be assumed because of what happened after the car was removed from the scene of the accident. It was quickly crushed and removed from the yard where it was originally towed. No car. No VIN. No one remembers.
deniscdeniscCaretaker of 8MA1244 '70 Euro Mangusta DRIVE THEM, THEY WERE MEANT TO BE DRIVEN, IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT ONE, BUY A POSTER!
Found an update to McGregor's article (some of it gruesome and louzy black & white pics,

http://afewtastefulsnaps.wordp...famous-drunk-driver/

Ontario Proviical Police report says 1972, white car, VIN: THPNMY04557, NY tags 447EAH

It is claimed he was projected from the car yet the driver's door is still attached and steering lokks to be intact??

Note: The Accident investigator noted steering rack bent and housing broken, left tie rod bent and broken at ball joint. Four tires deflated, front tires have gouges in them, deflation of front right and rear right caused by breaking of seal, one third of LR rim flange broken off. Right rear wheel was torn from the car, lower rear arm cast broken near the arm hinge and upper ball joint torn apart.
Conclusion: All damage is characteristic of accident damage...no indication that the vehicle went out of control because of defect prior to the accident.

Attachments

Hide
Images (1)
  • Horton_Pantera3
markcharltonmarkcharltonOld enough to know better and still young enough not to care. My '71 Pantera
The police report in the link Denis posted stated the colour (white), year (1972) and vin, along with lots of other details. It is an interesting if not gruesome read.

The car was crushed so quickly because Horton was very popular and police were worried that fans would try to strip the car for a piece of the history. Things haven't changed much.

Mark
Views: 1,043
Post

Membership Required

We're sorry. You must be signed in to continue. Sign In or Register
×
Are you sure you want to remove from your Block List?
×
Loading...
×
When you block a person, they can no longer invite you to a private message or post to your profile wall. Replies and comments they make will be collapsed/hidden by default. Finally, you'll never receive email notifications about content they create or likes they designate for your content.
Note: if you proceed, you will no longer be following .
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×