Yellow DeTomaso Pantera L

A yellow DeTomaso Pantera L arriving at and leaving leaving OC Cars & Coffee.

The Pantera is the automotive equivalent of a pineapple pizza; from a distance it's clearly Italian, but look closely and there's no doubt it's motivated by American tastes. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It looks right at home next to contemporary Ferraris and Lamborghinis, but it has the power and sound of some good ol' American muscle. I imagine that means it's a lot lighter on the wallet when it comes to parts and maintenance, too - something that makes many enthusiasts shy away from purely Italian supercars of this era.

Unlike those other supercars, Panteras appear quite frequently at car meets/shows here in Southern California and are often modified - signs that these cars aren't particularly hard to keep in running condition and that owners tend to prefer driving them over keeping them in storage. Earlier (pre-widebody) examples like this one are much more common, since Ford stopped importing Panteras in the mid 1970's and later variants weren't officially sold here. I've seen this particular Pantera L on multiple occasions, and it looks like that giant panda regularly enjoys being in the passenger seat. It's not going to fool any cops looking for HOV violations, but it certainly puts a smile on people's faces. Maybe it also helps the owner not have to worry about being pestered for rides. Then again, if the stuffed bamboo eater does need to be temporarily relocated, the car actually has a surprisingly large amount of cargo space in back - one more reason the Pantera is a somewhat practical supercar. Sure, a pineapple pizza isn't really Italian. But let's admit it - it actually tastes pretty darn good.

Would you personalize a Pantera and drive it regularly, or keep it stored away to preserve its value? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!