Description
The first owner of this car was named Claude Dubois. It sounds like a French chanson singer, but in reality he was a Belgian gentleman with excellent taste—and access to very fine machinery. Because what you see here is no ordinary Pantera. This is the European-spec GTS. The version from before the bulky U. S. bumpers. The one with more power. And the one infused with just the right amount of Italian bravado you secretly hope for when you switch on the lights in your garage.
The color is Marron Colorado—somewhere between deep burgundy and warm copper. Exactly right. The interior is finished in black leather, and the roof? Open. This GTS was delivered new with the factory tetto apribile, a rare and highly desirable feature. It adds a certain nonchalant elegance to the Pantera—effortless, confident, and unmistakably European.
Beneath the surface, this is serious work. The restoration was carried out strictly according to factory specifications, using the original Pantera factory archive as its blueprint. No interpretations, no shortcuts—everything exactly as intended when the car left Modena. In many respects, even better. Components were sourced from Pantera Parts Connection in the United States, with invoices to document the work. And it shows. This example is sorted down to the finest detail.
The engine? A 5. 8-liter Ford V8, exactly as it should be. And because this is a GTS—the sport-oriented version—that means one thing: a properly potent powerplant. But the real story lies in the experience. The sound is raw and unapologetic. The manual gearbox is mechanical and direct. You sit low, the clutch is reassuringly firm, and everything works in harmony—as it must in a sports car of this caliber.
And then there’s a footnote worth mentioning: Elvis Presley had one too. He famously lost his temper when his Pantera wouldn’t start, fired two shots into the dashboard with his revolver, and eventually sold the car. That was America. In Europe, people like Claude Dubois drove them instead. Men who drank wine rather than beer. Men who kept their hair neatly combed—but still pressed the accelerator with conviction.
This GTS is a car that looks you straight in the eye when you walk into the garage. One that raises your heart rate without trying. The Pantera GTS is Italian design with an American heart. A marriage of temperament and muscle. Of flowing lines and uncompromising numbers. And this example? It is right in every detail.
Interested in this exceptional De Tomaso? Contact Gallery Aaldering today. Established in 1975, we have decades of experience exporting exceptional automobiles worldwide. Ask us about the possibilities.
