1973 DeTomaso Pantera Is a Time Capsule for Shenanigans
A childhood fondness for grand theft auto led to a lifetime of desire for these new Pantera owners.
Jimmy and Kevin Clayton are two brothers who love cars as much as they love making trouble. After a lifetime of hard work and success, the two are making their childhood dreams come true. One of those dreams is this well-preserved 1973 DeTomaso Pantera that now sits in Kevin’s garage. But you’ll never believe the story that sparked this particular supercar love-affair.
When Jimmy and Kevin were kids, their parents owned a Lincoln-Mercury dealership that was chosen by Ford to be one of the official importers of the Pantera.
When you have a few Italian-designed supercars sitting in a parking lot, it doesn’t take long before a pair of teenagers get into mischief. To hear Jimmy tell the story is a treat. The love and comedy come through in every expression of his face and note in his voice.
“We were maybe 13 or 14 years old. We used to go and sneak the Pantera’s off the lot. Fell in love with that thing. Couldn’t even reach the pedals. Had to sit all the way forward on the edge of the seat.” The 1970s were a different time, kids.
But since those less-than-legal joyrides, the Pantera has nestled itself in the heads of these two brothers. It’s taken more than 40 years, but a Pantera finally sits in the garage. And this car is a prime example of the breed. It’s a one-owner car from St. Louis and you’ll find fewer than 11,000 miles on the odometer. Nearly every piece of this machine is the same as the day it rolled of the boat.
The original tires were still on the wheels, and the car came with all the original brochures and paperwork. It even has the original toolkit. The only major change to this machine is an upgraded radiator the original owner installed to help with the car’s notorious overheating issues.
ALSO SEE: What the Forum Has to Say About This
Since it came into the brothers’ possession, they swapped the original 15-inch wheels for some 17-inch replicas, gave the fuel system a full overhaul, and that’s about it. The new wheels are wrapped in sticky Michelin rubber with massive 335s in the rear. The polished look adds a little modern flair compared to the stock silver magnesium wheels. The paint has had a few touch-ups, but it’s otherwise original, and there are no plans to change it. Or any other part of the car, really.
“Probably just keep it all original, since it’s such an original car as it sits.”
We can’t say we blame them. Besides, if these brothers start changing too much, it won’t have that same nostalgic “I’m 14 and just stole a supercar” feel. And really, that’s the entire point.
