When Ford President and CEO Jim Farley sold his ’72 DeTomaso Pantera, the transaction created unexpected headlines. Jim Farley’s sports car carries classic Italian styling, but its engine and many of its bits were pure FoMoCo. During the ’70s, Lincoln-Mercury dealerships actually sold thousands of these mid-engine machines to American drivers with 351 Cleveland power.
The relationship started in 1969. Ford agreed to trade technical services with Italian companies Ghia Studios and de Tomaso Automobili. Two years later, the Pantera arrived. The name translates to panther. Ghia designed the body, and Vignale handled the physical construction. A reliable 351 Cleveland making 300 horsepower sat behind the driver in the two-seat coupe.
Lincoln-Mercury dealers priced the car around $10,000. Buyers responded quickly, pushing initial sales past other Italian imports. Print materials from the era heavily promoted the performance and build quality. An advertisement noted the vehicle was “designed to appeal to the enthusiast who wants sleek styling with superior performance and workmanship.”
Drivers appreciated the low 44-inch roofline and the 98-inch wheelbase. Jim Farley’s sports car represents this unique cross-cultural engineering effort. Master craftsmen sewed the interior seats. The factory installed a vertical instrument panel above a padded center console and placed a large tachometer right in front of the driver. Engineers even included a gated shifter to prevent drivers from grabbing the wrong gear.
Ford purchased both Italian companies for $4.5 million shortly after the vehicle launched. Americans bought more than 3,500 units by early 1974. Ford stopped the United States (U.S.) imports in 1975, but de Tomaso kept building the model until 1991. Ford Aerospace originally assigned the ’72 model Farley owned as a company pool car. A California resident registered it in 1974. It later sat inside a Massachusetts car museum for nearly two decades. Farley acquired the vehicle in 2024 and completed numerous updates before selling it.
Mixing reliable American horsepower with Italian design created an incredible machine. Jim Farley’s sports car shows what happens when major automakers trade ideas with custom builders.
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