1972 pantera barn find!

[grampy666]

I found an auction in my area on August 12 for a 1972 Pantera project and I just may attend and see if I can pick it up for a bargain price.

I've loved these cars since I was a teenager and the prospect of having a 351 Cleveland rumbling in my garage again is irresistible. In doing some research on these cars, I've discovered that they weren't all that well-built to start with (bad body panel fitment, cooling issues, ZF transaxle issues, bad undercoating) and that would certainly be a consideration; although Ford did implement many dealer-provided fixes and upgrades when they started to more actively manage the manufacture of these cars in 1972.

I also discovered that the Merkur was not the first sports car to be badly marketed by Ford through Lincoln-Mercury. Back in the day, you could walk into a Lincoln-Mercury dealer shopping for a Cougar or a Town Car or whatever and find a Pantera on the showroom floor. Of course, just like with the Merkur, the sales people had no idea how to sell such a car.

[DAReese]

Not just the Pantera. One could argue the Capri II at least was poorly marketed. Around the time of the Oil embargo, you'd think smaller, more efficient cars would have been successful instead of being canceled.

Ford Cortina sold like crazy in England, here, not so much. The Capri of the 90s was another failure.

[Snake]

Not just the Pantera. One could argue the Capri II at least was poorly marketed. Around the time of the Oil embargo, you'd think smaller, more efficient cars would have been successful instead of being canceled.

Ford Cortina sold like crazy in England, here, not so much. The Capri of the 90s was another failure.

Actually both Pantera and esepecially Capri II's sold well in North America, hence why the Merkur brand was thought as a go in the '80s, but the issue was that foreign cars were selling a lot in the '70s, but not in '80s. The issue with the Pantera was not that it not selling but rather it was not a good finished product, tied in with the "70s gas crunch it was not marketed by Ford anymore. Capri of the nineties was a Ford of Australia (Mazda) product.

[DAReese]

Not just the Pantera. One could argue the Capri II at least was poorly marketed. Around the time of the Oil embargo, you'd think smaller, more efficient cars would have been successful instead of being canceled.

Ford Cortina sold like crazy in England, here, not so much. The Capri of the 90s was another failure.

Actually both Pantera and esepecially Capri II's sold well in North America, hence why the Merkur brand was thought as a go in the '80s, but the issue was that foreign cars were selling a lot in the '70s, but not in '80s. The issue with the Pantera was not that it not selling but rather it was not a good finished product, tied in with the "70s gas crunch it was not marketed by Ford anymore. Capri of the nineties was a Ford of Australia (Mazda) product.

The Capri sold well, the Capri II not nearly as much for a better car. Part of that was the exchange rate, which I think also hurt the Merkur, but part of it was a lack of advertising.