1972 De Tomaso Pantera L

The Pantera was De Tomaso's attempt to pair Italian styling with American V8 reliability, and this 1972 Pantera L is a well-documented example of the early cars. It carries a Ford 5.8-litre V8 mounted amidships and a five-speed ZF manual gearbox. The Giugiaro-penned body is finished in deep blood red with black powder-coated exterior trim. It shows 47,025 miles.

The car was first registered in Los Alamitos, California, and covered about 26,000 miles before spending 15 years in original, unrestored condition. In 1993 it passed to a new owner in Redlands, who commissioned a full restoration. The body was stripped to bare metal, the minor corrosion was rectified, and it was refinished in its current colour. The later L-style impact bumpers were swapped for the earlier bumperettes in satin black, and the original bumpers are retained. Small bonnet vents and a Momo Prototipo steering wheel, as fitted to later GT5 models, nod to the Pantera's later development.

It remains on its original Campagnolo magnesium wheels and Ansa exhaust tips. The cabin is trimmed in black Connolly leather and has air conditioning and electric windows. In the late 1990s it competed on the US concours circuit, taking second in class at the 1997 Las Vegas Concours d'Elegance and appearing at Monterey events. The history file documents the restoration with photographs, a California appraisal, original US invoices and the concours awards and certificates, and the trophies are included in the sale.