The De Tomaso Pantera was born from this Isuzu concept

Do you notice any similarities between the MX1600 and the Pantera? They were designed by the same designer in the late 1960s

By: Alberto Carmone

Dec 19, 2023 at 7:11am ET

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The De Tomaso Pantera is one of the most iconic sports cars of the 1970s. A rival to Ferrari and Lamborghini, the supercar was produced from 1971 to 1993 in over 7,000 examples. Its lines as a typical mid-engined performance car have remained iconic, but few know of its 'links' with a Japanese concept.

Although it has never been confirmed, in fact, it seems that the design of the Pantera is based on the Isuzu Bellett MX1600.

European influence

Unveiled at the 1969 Tokyo Motor Show, the MX1600 is very reminiscent of the Pantera. The exotic sports car look, in fact, seems to be much closer to European models of the time, than to Japanese ones. In fact, this is not just an impression if one considers that the car was designed by Tom Tjaarda, who had designed several cars for Pininfarina in previous years, including the Ferrari 330 GT 2+2.

Isuzu Bellett MX1600 Concept (1969)

De Tomaso Pantera historical photo

Taking this into account, therefore, Isuzu's 'European roots' are not so surprising. In fact, the car attracted so much attention at the Tokyo Motor Show that the Japanese company decided to build a second concept renamed the MX1600 II. The differences between the two prototypes are minimal and mainly concern the front area.

Power without excess

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Although the aesthetics are true sports car, under the bonnet of the Isuzu there is no V8 engine like on the De Tomaso Pantera. In fact, on the two-seater, rear-wheel-drive MX1600 there is a 120 bhp 1.6 litre, the same power unit as the Bellett GT-R launched at the time.

Unfortunately, the MX1600 never saw the light of day as a production model. The Isuzu, therefore, remained just a styling exercise for the Japanese manufacturer.