[Charles Martel]

DeLorean. Cool appearance but horrid ergonomics, visibility, handling, braking - pretty much everything *but* the looks were bad. It was weird, in a bad way.

The other side of the "weird coin" - De Tomaso Pantera. It actually has some of the same bad characteristics as the DeLorean, but wrapped in a more classic exotic-car design (and with a heaping helping of Ford Cleveland V8 power).

[Army Air Corps]

The Pantera, to me, had an air of Badassery about it.

[fivecatsandadog]

50 years ago when I was only 17, I rode in my uncle’s de Tomaso mangusta, 100 mph, down the service drive next to the I-5. All I could say was WOW. Not weird at all.

[Chainmail]

Ah, the De Tomaso Pantera! In 1975 I had a buddy of mine who had one - in yellow. When he showed up at my home, I couldn't see his car in the driveway, because it was so low that it was beneath the view from my window.

He let me drive it once. The pedals were so close together and angled to the right to avoid the left front wheel well that I had to take my shoes off to keep from hitting two pedals at once (and I have narrow feet!). The engine's front 1/3 intruded between the driver's seat and the passenger seat and it was so loud that you couldn't hear anything else. There was a radio - sideways in the console to fit - but the engine had to be off to hear it.

Accelerated like a bat out of hell - 2nd gear alone violated every speed limit in Hawaii - but the view to the rear didn't exist. I guess you'd just have to wait until you saw flashing lights around you to know when to stop for the cop.

[mad_as_he$$]

“...De Tomaso Pantera.”

Drove on years ago. Couldn’t wait to get it back to garage. What a POS?