The VIN tag shows 1006 and it’s currently for sale in Florida.
This Rare 1971 De Tomaso Pantera Might Be the Oldest Model in Existence and It’s Up for Sale in Florida with Authentic Documentation and an Asking Price of $250,000.
Few car enthusiasts have the opportunity to own the oldest known example of a vehicle, and this yellow 1971 De Tomaso Pantera could well be the oldest Pantera still in existence. The Ford-powered, mid-engine exotic was first produced that year and bears a VIN ending in 1006. The seller claims it’s the sixth car built, and documentation going all the way back to the original owner in Italy, as well as the original delivery book, support the claim. Despite the challenges of verifying such claims, this Pantera’s documentation makes it an irresistible opportunity for car collectors.
Upon researching online, we stumbled upon a forum thread on Pantera International that discussed VIN 1006, and the information there corresponds to what is presented in this auction. This indicates that this vintage Pantera might be the earliest model, whether it is a prototype or production car.
What makes this even more fascinating is that the VIN plate contains a separate engine identification number, which is 0004. The engine is said to have been taken from a previous prototype and placed in this Pantera. This fact is mentioned in the auction listing and the Pantera International forum thread, and it also matches the early days of Pantera production when various components were being fine-tuned to deliver cars to eager customers.
The odometer on this car shows 32,202 in the photos, but that’s reportedly in kilometers. According to the auction listing, it has only 18,000 miles on it. The seller also highlights a few prototype options that weren’t used on other production cars, such as the two-piece grille, different steering wheel, De Tomaso badges on the dash, Ghia badges on the fenders, and a rear hatch release in the door jam. The Pantera was the result of De Tomaso’s collaboration with Ford, powered by a 5.8-liter V8 engine producing around 330 horsepower.
It’s difficult to determine the value of what could be the earliest surviving Pantera. However, the seller is asking $250,000 for it, giving a chance to its new owner to take it home.
