1971 antera ave Sebits has been hanging on to a used car for the last 38 years. Decades ago Sebits purchased a 1971 De Tomaso Pantera. “This was in 1974, and it was just another used car at the time. It was depreciating like any used car would. I bought it in No-
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vember or December. I just liked the look of it,” he said. Sebits said he was familiar with the Pantera when it first came in to production. “I had seen them advertised in car magazines. It’s the first year; ’71 was the first year for them, but the company had been
around since 1959,” he said. Sebits said the Italian super-car design was one that grabbed, and held, his attention. “I like the fact that it has such a timeless style. This was built in 1971, it’s 41 years old. And really, one of the things that gives
it away – as far as showing its age – is the wheels and tires. The styling is that timeless, mid-engine sports car,” he said. While the Pantera was not built for racing, it has an impressive pedigree. “It is a classic mid-engine design with a German ZF model 5DS-25 transaxle bolted directly to the engine. It is the same axle that Ford used in the LeMans winning GT40s of the 1960’s,” he said. The 1971 Pantera is unique in that it was the only year to run an 11:1 compression ratio. Later models decreased the compression to 8.6:1 due to stricter emissions controls. With the original engine, a Ford 351 Cleveland, still running, Sebits said the Pantera has been as reliable as any 41-year-old car can be. “It’s a complicated car. It has power windows, power brakes, air conditioning, it all adds to the complication of it. I’ve had to work on the power windows, and you have to tear everything apart. But it hasn’t been anything major. It’s complicated and it has a lot of parts, but it still has a real reliable German transmission and a reliable American V8. The major components are sound,” he said. Sebits said the Pantera is a head-turner not only because of the rarity of the car, but because of its condition. “At a car show, they were very interested in it because it is very original,” he said. Few Panteras remain in factory condition with many heavily modified. “An awful lot of these have been modified. They liked the car because you don’t see very many, only 6,100 Panteras were built, ever. Most were modified, and one of the reasons is
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they have never appreciated in value much,” he said. Sebits said one of the mysteries of the car world is knowing which car will become valuable, and which cars will depreciate quickly. “There are really good cars, like a Lincoln Town Car, and you can buy those for a hundred bucks; and a rough impractical car can go skyhigh. It’s an odd paradox,” he said. Sebits said while the Pantera may have had a short production run, it did not retain or gain value like other classic cars. “Take a car that’s valuable or rare, and a person would be disinclined to modify it, like an original Cobra. But these things, since they didn’t appreciate much, people modified them. I was never particu-
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larly tempted to do so. The only things that aren’t original is stuff you can’t see,” he said. One of the only modifications on the Pantera was done before Sibets purchased the car. “This particular car was originally purchased from the Kumpf Motor Car Co. in Denver. Kumpf had contracted with the famous Denver speed shop Kenz & Leslie to do all the repair and maintenance work on their cars. “Kenz & Leslie was the real deal back in those days with their drag racing and Bonneville cars. They built a radiator modification kit for the Panteras and they put a little brass plaque on the radiator that read “Kenz &Leslie Super Cooler,” which my car has. Cool, huh?” he said. Sebits said he has held on to the Pantera for 38 years simply because
he enjoys the car’s aesthetics. “It’s the looks. And sound. It’s fun to drive. It’s probably, for as tall as I am, it’s more comfortable than you’d expect. It’s like you’re sitting in a go-cart but it’s really pretty comfortable. I used to drive Corvettes, and this is a little wider and has a roomy interior. I can sit and have headroom, not a lot but I do,” he said. Sebits said the car, with only 55,0000 miles is not an every day car, but one he still takes out for short drives. “If it were a daily driver and I had to depend on it, there would be things I would change. But because it’s an occasional collector, I like the idiosyncrasies. I like the loud and rough. You wouldn’t want a loud, rough car every day, but to just get in and snort around, it’s fun,” he said.
There are really good cars, like a Lincoln Town Car, and you can buy those for a hundred bucks; and a rough impractical car can go sky-high. It’s an odd paradox.” - Dave Sebits
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