THE ORANGE Panther
The de Tomaso Pantera story is almost as intriguing as a James Bond adventure. Alejandro de Tomaso was an Argentinian from a wealthy and politically well-connected cattle-ranching family. De Tomaso was involved in an attempted overthrow of the government of Argentina — more specifically its president, Juan Perón. Perón was not known for his humility or forgiving nature so in 1955 De Tomaso, who was in his late 20s, fled to Italy from where his paternal grandfather originated.
De Tomaso was a handy driver and was soon racing cars in Europe, even competing in two Formula 1 races in 1957. Sports cars, parties, and socialising with the elite enjoying accelerating wealth in Europe’s post World War II recovery was the stuff of glamorous movies of the era. It was also the stuff of real life for young Alejandro.
In 1956 he met a young, pretty, and wealthy American, Isabelle Haskell, at the Maserati factory. She was the granddaughter of WC Durant, the founder
