Pantera SI: The Last, Loud Roar of De Tomaso’s V8 Dream

Roaring Farewell - It’s easy to romanticize the golden age of supercars—the wild designs, the raw sound of unfiltered V8s, the audacious personalities behind their creation. But tucked between the poster boys of the late '80s and early '90s was a machine that never quite got the fanfare it deserved, despite its exotic looks and rich history: the De Tomaso Pantera SI. By the time it appeared in 1990, the automotive world had already shifted gears, but that didn’t stop this last hurrah from becoming the most ambitious Pantera ever built.

The DeTomaso Pantera SI emerged during the late-1980s exotic car boom, conceived as the model’s final evolution before a full replacement. (Picture from: SupercarNostalgia)

The story begins long before the SI took shape. Back in 1959, a young Argentine-born racing driver named Alessandro de Tomaso founded his own company in Italy with dreams that reached beyond racetracks. For years, he looked for a big partner—someone who could take his boutique operation and turn it into a global player. That dream materialized in 1969 when the Ford Motor Company bought an 80% stake in De Tomaso Automobili. Ford, eager to counter the rise of mid-engined sports cars from domestic competitors, saw potential in De Tomaso’s upcoming project, and that project was the Pantera.

The De Tomaso Pantera SI retained a steel monocoque but gained a tubular rear subframe for the engine, transmission, and suspension, creating a lighter, more rigid structure that improved handling and delivered a flatter ride through corners. (Picture from: SupercarNostalgia)

Ford planned to sell thousands of Panteras through its Lincoln-Mercury dealerships in the U.S., while De Tomaso himself held distribution rights for the rest of the world. At first, the partnership worked. The Pantera gained traction, even if some early models struggled with reliability. But by 1974, the alliance had soured. Ford pulled out, and De Tomaso bought back the company—along with hundreds of unfinished Panteras. Rather than scrap the project, he reimagined it. Over the years, the Pantera was refined, muscled up, and dressed in wider, meaner bodywork. Models like the GT5 and GT5S turned it into a budget-conscious rival to the Lamborghini Countach.

The De Tomaso Pantera SI's interior was the best-appointed of any of the Panteras, with leather, wood trim, air-conditioning, electric windows, and more. (Picture from: SupercarNostalgia)

As the 1980s closed out and exotic cars became hot commodities among collectors, the Pantera saw a surprise surge in demand. It was during this speculative boom that De Tomaso decided to produce a final evolution of the Pantera before focusing on a full replacement. That evolution was the Pantera SI. Though sometimes referred to as the “Pantera 90 SI” to highlight its 1990 debut, the official name remained simply Pantera SI—short for Serie Imperiale. Both terms describe the same car, with no technical or design differences. The “90” tag was never officially used by De Tomaso, but became a common informal reference to distinguish this final evolution from earlier Pantera models.

The De Tomaso Pantera SI, unveiled at the 1990 Turin Motor Show, was far more than a cosmetic update, representing a ground-up refinement of the Pantera formula. (Picture from: SupercarNostalgia)

Revealed at the 1990 Turin Motor Show, the SI was far more than a cosmetic update. It was a ground-up refinement of the Pantera formula. The car still used a steel monocoque, but now had a tubular rear subframe to cradle the engine, transmission, and suspension. The structure was lighter and more rigid than its predecessors, resulting in better handling and a flatter ride through corners.

Just 41 examples of the De Tomaso Pantera SI would be made, though two of these would be destroyed during crash testing and another was sent directly to the De Tomaso Museum. (Picture from: SupercarNostalgia)

Suspension geometry was updated, too—longer front wishbones, shorter rears, adjustable coilovers, and anti-roll bars gave the SI sharper road manners than any Pantera before it. Braking was modernized with Brembo-supplied discs and calipers, though features like ABS or power steering were absent. The SI wore handsome 17-inch Fondmetal magnesium wheels, wrapped in aggressive Michelin MXX tires, with a fresh 85-liter fuel tank tucked into the rear bulkhead.

 

Under the engine cover sat a Ford-sourced 5.0-liter V8—the same base block used in the Mustang GT of the time—but with an Italian twist. Once the motors arrived in Modena, De Tomaso’s team upgraded nearly everything: camshafts, cylinder heads, pistons, and electronics. The result was a high-revving, 305-horsepower beast with 333 lb-ft of torque—plenty to move the 1580 kg body from 0-62 mph in just 5.4 seconds and on to a claimed top speed of 165 mph.

The 1993 DeTomaso Pantera SI Targa by Carrozzeria Pavesi in Milan, featured a removable roof panel and additional chassis bracing. (Picture from: SupercarNostalgia)

Transmission duties were handled by a five-speed ZF gearbox paired with a limited-slip differential, while the electrical system, radiators, and oil coolers were all newly engineered. This wasn’t just an old car with a bodykit—it was a full reboot of a classic.

 

But perhaps the biggest visual change came courtesy of Marcello Gandini, the designer behind the Lamborghini Miura and Countach. Gandini took the familiar wedge shape and pushed it into the '90s, replacing nearly every body panel except the roof and windows. The SI now wore flared fenders, aggressive bumpers, modern mirrors, and a rear aero setup that included a dramatic spoiler and ground-effect diffuser. Even the taillights were redesigned, replacing the dated Carello units with sleeker clusters. It was unmistakably a Pantera, but one reborn.

The 1993 DeTomaso Pantera SI Targa, stylish but priced 50% higher than the coupe, saw only four units built, two of which received a rare six-speed Getrag gearbox instead of the standard five-speed ZF. (Picture from: SupercarNostalgia)

Inside, changes were more restrained. New bucket seats with fixed backs, wood veneer accents, leather upholstery, and updated switchgear kept things comfortable and refined. The air-conditioning and power mirrors were borrowed from the Maserati Biturbo, while a Momo steering wheel added a touch of sportiness. Some components carried over from earlier models, but the cabin felt suitably upscale for the price point. Airbags were never fitted, but luxuries like power windows and a CD player came standard.

 

The timing, however, couldn’t have been worse. By the time the SI reached production in late 1990, the exotic car market had collapsed. The bubble that once had collectors clamoring for supercars had popped, and a global recession was tightening wallets. High-end carmakers across Europe were hit hard—and De Tomaso was no exception.

The DeTomaso Pantera 200, a twin-turbocharged version built by British concessionaires as a single right-hand drive model for the UK, produced 500 bhp, reached 200 mph, and was tested on Top Gear in 1993. (Picture from: Supercars.net)

In a last-ditch effort to spark interest, a Targa version of the SI was introduced in 1993. Built by Carrozzeria Pavesi in Milan, the SI Targa featured a removable roof panel and additional chassis bracing. Though stylish, the Targa carried a 50% price premium over the coupe, limiting demand even further. Only four were ever made.

 

Production of the Pantera SI ended quietly in late 1993, with the final Targa completed in early 1994. De Tomaso had intended to build up to 75 cars per year, but reality proved harsher. Only 41 Pantera SIs were completed in total—38 sold to customers, two used for crash testing, and one kept by the factory. Of the four Targas produced, two received a rare six-speed Getrag gearbox instead of the standard five-speed ZF.

The DeTomaso Pantera SI GT1 saw success in British motorsport throughout the mid-1990s. (Picture from: Forum.Forza.net)

There were some interesting one-offs: a single right-hand drive version was turbocharged and sold in the UK as the Pantera 200, while another SI chassis became a GT1 race car and saw success in British motorsport throughout the mid-1990s. | Ohu5SYPH8AE |

Although it never achieved commercial success, the Pantera SI stands as a bold and beautiful swan song to one of the most charismatic nameplates in Italian motoring. It embodied the persistent spirit of Alessandro de Tomaso—a man who, despite countless obstacles, kept finding ways to bring his vision to life. The SI may have marked the end of the Pantera’s story, but what a striking finale it was. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | SUPERCARNOSTALGIA | SUPERCARS.NET | FORUM.FORZA.NET | ITALIAUTO IN X ]

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