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De Tomaso Pantera Black Kyosho 1:18

De Tomaso Pantera Black Kyosho 1:18
Current price: £182.50

Price shown excluding UK VAT. Import VAT and the courier's customs clearance fee are collected on delivery.

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Specifications
Car Brand
De Tomaso
Model Manufacturer
Kyosho
Scale
1:18
Material
Diecast
Model Condition
Used Model
SKU
08851BK
Genuine articles Sourced from manufacturers
5-layer carton Foam-filled interior
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About the De Tomaso Pantera Black Kyosho 1:18

TL;DR: Kyosho's 1:18 diecast De Tomaso Pantera in black reproduces the 1972 Italian-American exotic, styled by Ghia's Tom Tjaarda around a mid-mounted Ford V8 and sold through Lincoln-Mercury dealers in the US. Sharp wedge bodywork and a detailed engine bay capture a genuinely unusual transatlantic collaboration.

Few production cars combined nationalities as directly as the Pantera did, wrapping an American V8 in a sharply creased Italian wedge and selling the result through an unlikely dealer network. This black Kyosho diecast captures that unusual transatlantic exotic.

An Italian Wedge with American Muscle

Few production cars mixed nationalities as directly as the De Tomaso Pantera did. Argentine-born entrepreneur Alejandro de Tomaso commissioned Ghia, under designer Tom Tjaarda, to draw a sharp, low wedge body, then mounted a Ford 351 Cleveland V8 amidships to power it, an American muscle engine dropped into an unmistakably Italian shape. Ford's involvement went further than supplying an engine: the Pantera was sold in the United States through Lincoln-Mercury dealerships, a distribution arrangement that put a mid-engined Italian exotic within reach of buyers who would otherwise have had no route to one. That accessibility, relative to Ferrari or Lamborghini's own dealer networks at the time, gave the Pantera a genuinely different market position despite its exotic mechanical layout. Tjaarda's design held up as one of the most striking wedge shapes of the era, with a low, flat nose and sharply creased flanks that still read as aggressive decades later. It remains a car defined by that unusual transatlantic partnership.

Kyosho's Diecast Take on the Pantera's Wedge Bodywork

Black is an unforgiving colour on a car built from flat planes and sharp creases, and Kyosho's paint holds even depth across the Pantera's low nose and angular rear haunches without pooling or thinning around the wedge's tightest folds. The doors open on metal hinges to reveal a cabin set close around the driver, with a dashboard laid out for a genuinely quick car rather than a leisurely one, and the rear engine cover lifts to show the mid-mounted V8 in enough relief to read as a real mechanical component rather than a flat sticker. Vents along the flanks and the distinctive slatted rear window treatment are moulded with real depth, details that separate a carefully tooled diecast from a simplified casting. The wheel design fills the arches at the correct width for a car whose stance was as much a part of its appeal as its performance, and panel gaps around the doors and engine cover stay tight against the model's sharp body lines.

Positioning the Pantera Among 1970s Exotic Diecast

Against the more commonly modelled Ferraris and Lamborghinis of the same decade, the Pantera offers a collector something genuinely less familiar, an exotic with its own distinct engineering story and a design that still surprises people encountering it for the first time. Its Ford V8 heart also makes it an interesting bridge piece for a collector who splits interest between European exotics and American muscle, since it technically belongs to both categories at once. At a compact footprint typical of 1970s mid-engined exotics, it sits comfortably within a standard cabinet shelf, and black remains one of the strongest colour choices for showing off Tjaarda's sharp surfacing under direct light. For anyone building a 1970s exotic collection who wants a genuine alternative to the obvious Italian names, the Pantera earns its place through design and mechanical curiosity rather than badge recognition alone.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Kyosho De Tomaso Pantera

What size is the Kyosho De Tomaso Pantera model?

At 1:18 scale, the model reflects the Pantera's compact, low-slung mid-engined proportions, fitting comfortably within a standard display cabinet alongside similarly scaled 1970s exotics.

Does the engine bay open on this model?

Yes, the rear engine cover lifts to reveal the mid-mounted V8 in genuine relief, alongside opening doors on metal hinges that expose the driver-focused cabin.

Why was the Pantera sold through Lincoln-Mercury dealerships?

Ford's involvement in the Pantera programme extended to US distribution, putting this Italian-designed, Ford-powered exotic within reach of American buyers through a dealer network that otherwise sold conventional Lincoln and Mercury models.

How does the Pantera compare to Ferrari and Lamborghini models from the same era?

It offers a less common alternative with its own distinct design and engineering story, appealing to collectors who want variety beyond the more frequently modelled Italian rivals, while its Ford V8 also bridges European exotic and American muscle collecting interests.

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