De Tomaso Pantera SI & Targa ‘1990–94

The Pantera Si was not only a facelift from the original Pantera. It was a complete new car designed by Marcello Gandini, who also penned the Cizeta Moroder, Countach, Diablo, Lancia Stratos, Maserati Shamal and many more. Just about every panel is new as is the rear chassis, suspension, wheels, wheel wells, fuel tank, lights, bumpers, electrics, radiators, oil coolers, interior and more. Marketed as the Pantera 90 in UK., the Pantera SI was the last variant of the Pantera model.

Production

The Si Pantera was first presented to the public at the Turin Motor Show in 1990.

De Tomaso only made 41 of the SIs (35 coupes and 4 targas): two of these were crash tested – leaving 39 sold to customers.

Of the 41 Pantera SI’s manufactured by De Tomaso, only four of them underwent official Targa conversions in 1994 by the Milanese coachbuilder Pavesi in Milan, a specialist in open-top modifications. Easily removed, the roof could then be stowed under the rear deck. The end result, it was almost impossible to tell the car had not been designed as such from scratch.

2 of these cars (#9637 and #9639) were equipped with a Getrag 6-speed gearbox, sourced from the Audi RS2. All other Sis had the same 5-speed ZF unit like all Panteras before.

front tires 235/45R17
rear tires 235/45R17
curb weight 1497 kg / 3300 lbs
wheelbase 2487 mm / 97.9 in
front track 1544 mm / 60.8 in
rear track 1544 mm / 60.8 in
length 4318 mm / 170.0 in
width 2946 mm / 116.0 in

Some feelings from Auto Italia magazine: Like Colin Chapman, Alessandro De Tomaso played with the big boys. This meant being crafty, always clever and occasionally getting beaten up. During his early years when he focused on racing, like Chapman, De Tomaso developed a close link with Ford. As De Tomaso drifted into road car production he saw the marketing advantages of combining a svelte Italian body with good ol’ Cleveland iron (where Ford V8 produced). Americanism is there in that you need to depress the clutch pedal to start the V8. The controls are weighted somewhere between old supercar and modern car. There is no room behind the seats and neither do they adjust for rake. That said, the sitting position isn’t bad. With proper silencing and catalytic converters, the driving experience is not totally subdued as there is always the unmistakable sound of that Yankee V8 beat and the right-now shove that is on tap. It’s all about bottom-end propulsion. You can feel the forward impulses through your backside as the pistons crank the wheels around. Using the red sector of the tacho is as unnecessary as it is disappointing. The power delivery of these V8s is low-down and awesome.

Gallery of Pantera Si Targa