When Road & Track magazine got their hands on the Pantera GT5, the reaction to the car prompted them to write the byline, “the Pantera is back in America, with a vengeance.” The car does have an air of facelift to it, but when the engine turns over and fires to life the remembrance of the classic V-8 powerplants of the era lets you know that life is indeed good. The progression through the gears and the booming response takes you back to the days of the real Can-Am and Trans-Am series’, the V-8 special builds from when racing was conducted on airport courses and the generation of enthusiasts inspired by the top fuel and funny car power and sounds from a possibly misguided youth of automobile addictions.

Ford power reliability, show-stopping Italian bodywork and design and a mid-engine with transaxle layout like a “proper racecar” made the package an enthusiasts dream. To see such a machine in your rearview mirror was nearly disbelieving to your eyes; how could a road-legal car be that streamlined, low and sleek? When the “At a Glance” section was compiled for quick comparisons, the Pantera GT5 was put against the Ferrari 308 GTB/QV and the Porsche 911 Carrera.

The car’s designation came from the FIA Group 5 racing class of earlier years that allowed you to take a production car, modify the engine and body panels and then utilize any wheels and tires that could be stuffed into the area of the extended fenders and wheelwells. Group 5 had a distinctive look that you could see at Le Mans or at a regional rally and was a natural choice for a factory to update a prior design with a then state-of-the art performance look.

The new bodywork for the GT5 begins with a full front spoiler that incorporates an intake scoop for a front-mounted oil cooler. This seamlessly flows into flares over the front wheelwells, down into the doorsill area and back over the rear wheels in a similar fashion containing the stoutly proportionate rear wheels. The impressive rear wing was listed as optional and has certain stability benefits associated with racecars – though the original Pantera platform was never questioned for its rear end stability in its original guise.

Reported as one of less than 300 produced in entirety (one source says 262), this particular example of Pantera GT5 is an “original, mint condition and very rare” machine that has had approximately $85,000 invested in restoration processes. The black with burgundy toned interior is reported to be an uncommon offering for the car that is driven by the always impressive 351-cid V-8 engine in a detailed bay that is connected to a five-speed ZF transaxle that is manual and operated through the popular and very accurate gated shifter so commonly associated with Ferrari. Pop-up headlights, power four-wheel disc brakes, woodgrain dash fascia, air conditioning, radio, Veglia gauges, power windows and power steering are also part of the exciting package. Registered in kilometers, the car shows approximately 21,000-km.

Road & Track summed up their test with the following impression: “First, the GT5 isn’t just a quick car by today’s standards. Even in the late Sixties, when every American factory had at least one model capable of running at the drags in less than 15 seconds, only the really radical, as in Dodge Hemi Charger or big-block Corvette or Cobra, could do a flat 14. The GT5 is one of the quickest cars ever sold – ever.”