[DeTomaso] [NPC] Big dollars at BJ auction

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/22/07 17 41 26, cengles at cox.net writes:


> The
> standard review is that  the Pantera isn't in that ball park because: 1) no
> racing heritage nor wins 
> 

>>>A common misconception.   True enough, they were a non-entity in USA 
racing, but they did have a presence in Europe, as the new De Tomaso racing book 
clearly shows.   The Pantera really came out of the blocks running in 1972, with 
outright victories in various endurance races in the worldwide championship.  
 Porsche fought back, both on the engineering front (burning the midnight oil 
to make the wheezy, girly 911 into a competitive car), and politically 
(schmoozing the FIA to impose various weight restrictions and other restrictions on 
the Pantera to slow it down and make it less competitive).

The money ran out pretty quickly at De Tomaso, and after the '72 season the 
car was principally campaigned by unsupported privateers.   It was still very 
successful on a regional level, winning national championships outright for 
several years thereafter.

Mike (yeah, I didn't know much of that either, until I read the book....)