This is the 1973 De Tomaso Pantera II/7X Montella (chassis THPNNG06114), a one-off prototype that aimed to become the replacement model for the Pantera due to ongoing safety and emissions regulations being introduced by the United States government. After debuting the year prior in Modena, in 1971 De Tomaso and Ford forged an agreement that ultimately introduced the Italian Pantera to the US market with company founder Alejandro De Tomaso retaining the rights to market the model in Europe. American Lincoln-Mercury dealers primarily sold the Pantera model from 1972 to 1975. Due to a multitude of reasons and continuous emissions and safety restrictions, Ford officially stopped importing Pantera models into the US in 1975. This fully-functional Pantera-successor that could have been was styled by American automobile designer, Tom Tjaarda for Italian automobile design firm, Ghia. This one-off was constructed in Italy using an original Pantera as the basis, and carried over number of components from the Pantera L, or ‘Lusso’ (luxury) model. This flashy piece of kinetic art was a complete restyling with a cantilevered roofline, two flying buttresses on the rear roof, and a dark orange paint finish. After its show circuit, in 1975, it would undergo a transformation which was supervised by former Ghia design studio president, Don De La Rossa, where it would become re-named the ‘Montella’ and painted it in a two-tone pearl white/metallic bronze finish. In 1981, the 7x/Montella was sold to a Michigan sports car dealer, who then sold the car to a dentist living in Michigan. It wouldn’t be until 2007 that the 7x /Montella would be auctioned off at the Monterey Sports & Classic Car Auction presented by RM Auctions (@rmsothebys) for $99,000. The one-off would then wind up in the hands of @lopresto.official who carefully and restored the car with the in-person assistance of the designer who designed it.
How many made? 1
Engine: 5.7-liter Ford V8
Debut: 1973 Detroit, LA and Chicago motor shows
Top Speed: n/a
0-60mph: n/a
Photo Credit: @stefzago
Research: @rarecarsonly