Having established himself as a serious automobile manufacturer with the Mangusta coupé, Alejandro De Tomaso commissioned Lamborghini designer, Gianpaolo Dallara, to produce the chassis for his new mid-engined supercar, the Pantera.

Dallara opted for unitary construction for the steel chassis/body, abandoning the Mangusta's backbone frame, and competition-specification double wishbone/coil-spring suspension all round.

The Ford Motor Company was De Tomaso's partner at the time of the Pantera's introduction in 1971 and consequently the Pantera, like the Mangusta, relied on Ford V8 power.

Mated to an all-synchro ZF five-speed transaxle, the 351ci (5.8-litre) Cleveland engine varied in output depending on the destination market, and in European trim offered around 330bhp enabling the Pantera to arrive at 60mph in a little over 5 seconds on its way to 165mph.

Styled by Tom Tjaarda at Carrozzeria Ghia, the stunning coupé body was in fact built by Vignale, both companies being part of De ...