This 1972 De Tomaso Pantera coupe has only been bid to $14,500 USD so far with a couple of days remaining, but whoever buys it would have their hands full restoring it after two decades of sitting in a barn.
Judging by the age, it was in one of the first Pantera batches imported into the USA when the production began in 1971 (watch the video for another example). Alejandro de Tomaso received support from Ford in North America: the company negotiated with Lincoln and Mercury dealerships to sell it. This was largely because most Panteras of the time used Ford engines. This specific example has a 5.8-liter Ford Cleveland V8 originally rated 335 PS (330 hp / 246 kW).
It doesn’t start, though, and it remains a mystery when the car was last drivable. The odometer shows 42,442 miles (68,300 kilometers).
The seller does not explain why it was kept like that. Apparently, they bought the car in this state after it sat around gathering rust and mold for 20 years. The body rusted completely through, the paint was damaged, and the interior trim was reduced to shreds. Some metallic parts inside have also corroded, but at least the 15-inch Campagnolo wheels survived the test of time.
A couple of years ago, the same auction website sold another De Tomaso Pantera for $102,000, but that one was much better off with an engine swap.