With the franchise that first kicked off in 2001 and now includes a total of ten installments, there’s absolutely no shortage of seriously noteworthy vehicles that have been featured in the Fast & Furious movies. In addition to holding a special place in the hearts of film fans, the Fast-featured rides are also extremely sought-after by collectors, with film-used cars from the franchise commanding enormous amounts of attention — and even more enormous sums of money — whenever they hit the auction block. And such is the case with the 1972 De Tomaso Pantera GTS Movie Car seen in Fast Five, which is scheduled to soon take its turn going under the hammer at an upcoming Barrett Jackson sale.
This car was famously featured in the train heist scene in Fast Five in which the wedge-shaped supercar is stolen by Paul Walker and Vin Diesel off of a moving railcar. Very shortly after filming, the movie-featured Pantera began suffering overheating issues — a fact that ultimately resulted in it being preserved thanks to the fact it largely went unused after this issue was discovered. In 2013, a Universal Studios consigner sold this 1972 specimen to its current owner, who proceeded to fix the overheating issues and restore it to its screen-used condition — complete with movie-correct brilliant black paint with white graphics and tinted windows.
Since its restoration, the De Tomaso now packs a 351ci (5.7-liter) Cleveland engine that’s been fitted with a ZF 5-speed manual transmission with a new clutch. The engine has also received an Edelbrock Performer intake manifold, a Carter 750 carburetor, a thermostatic electric radiator fan, and an MSD electronic ignition. The original movie car’s 17” Campagnolo wheels have also been polished before being shod in Michelin Pilot Sport tires. The black interior of the car also includes an aftermarket battery shutoff and roll bar that was added prior to filming in order to increase stunt safety and make camera mounting easier. While new Vader power window motors have been added, the stock vehicle’s spare tire, luggage rack, air conditioning, heater motor, and windshield wipers have all been removed. This exact movie car was also the basis of a limited-edition Hot Wheels model car.
Sold with a Deluxe Marti Report, the 1972 De Tomaso Pantera GTS featured in Fast Five is slated to cross the auction block at Barrett Jackson’s forthcoming Las Vegas sale starting June 22nd.
