I don’t know when an American V8 was first shoved into a European sports car. While I suspect it happened before Carroll Shelby took a look at an AC Ace roadster and went, “Hmmm…”, regardless of the whom, when or where, the idea was a great one. Besides the AC Cobra, which when paired off with the Ford 427ci V8 became an absolute beast that is still spoken about in awed tones, there was the Sunbeam Tiger (a Sunbeam Alpine with a small Ford V8 under the hood), the Jensen Interceptor and FF (big-block Chrysler powered Brits, one with four-wheel-drive) and the Facel Vega (yet another Chrysler-powered product, this time a luxury car). But there was something about all of these cars that exhibited some restraint, some composure…yes, even the Cobra. All were meant to serve a purpose, but none (with possible exception of the 427 Cobras) really were that…what’s the word I’m looking for?…demente. That is reserved for the creations of Alejandro de Tomaso, the best known of which is the Pantera.

The Pantera is a 1970s Italian wedge with a serious kick of Ford power in the mid-rear of the car. Think of it as the GT-40 that someone could potentially afford, and even maybe fit inside of. They were brash, they were  underrated power-wise (330hp claimed, 380+ was more like it), and in the right hands they were a scalpel. The torque from the 351 Cleveland was more than enough to make driving a Pantera an eye-opening and muscle-clenching experience, and the howl is pure Ford anger. It’s beautiful.