The DeTomaso Pantera is the most well-known example of the brand. How can you not appreciate a Pantera? Ford V8 mounted in the back to a ZF five-speed , the wedge-look that Italy was cranking out at the time, a sound that would make body parts tingle at the suggestion of what was to happen…it was a dream machine and was even imported directly to Lincoln-Mercury dealerships by Ford until 1975 as an in-house project. But that is just one car that DeTomaso cranked out over their early history (read: before 1993). There was the Ford Cortina-powered Vallelunga, the Ford-powered Mangusta that was more than a veiled swipe at Carroll Shelby, the Deauville sedan and the Longchamp coupe, for example.

DeTomaso himself was an interesting character. He left Argentina after being accused of attempting to overthrow Juan Perón, raced for Maserati, O.S.C.A. and Scuderia Centro Sud. He raced in Formula One but didn’t make an impact. Besides his namesake company, he had his hands in Ghia and Vignale, Moto Guzzi, Benelli, Innocenti and Maserati. Many different factions of DeTomaso exist…but the only one that is regularly remembered is the loudest and proudest, the Pantera.