Someone did and the car is quite special.
Imagine taking off your bonnet to find the engine gone. We hope that the purchaser of the 1987 De Tomaso Pantera GT5S at a recent auction realized what he was getting into when he paid nearly PS170,000 or $229,000 at current rates for a car with no engine.
For a mere PS136,000/$183,000., an identical, fully functioning Pantera was recently auctioned.
Why would a car that isn’t designed to function as a car be so expensive? This particular car has Carroll Shelby’s name in its log book. The car was owned by the legendary American racer and tuner, Carroll Shelby. He used the Ford V8 to develop the Dodge Viper. There were many different suspension and drivetrain options for the car throughout its lifetime.
Legend has it Shelby wanted the Viper’s V8 to be a biturbo V8 like the Pantera, but Chrysler chose a V10 that was smaller than a planet to give it more “exotic appeal.” Since the Viper, only three other series of supercars were produced, along with the limited-run Lexus LFA, all had V10 engines. Every supercar, cement mixer and pencil sharpener has a biturbo engine these days.
Bonhams, who sold the car in Connecticut’s Greenwich Concours D’Elegance auction along with several other Shelby cars, described the car as “a great contender for resurrection.”
Its next owner can choose the powertrain and build the car to his or her liking,” the listing for the car on the auction house’s website states. However, it is unclear how much money the buyer will have after paying for the rolling chassis.
A Shelby vehicle authenticity certificate certifies that the car was purchased by Carroll Shelby. However, we aren’t sure how useful this piece of paper as a means to propulsion.