Driven on Discovery Reincarnates Carroll Shelby’s DeTomaso Pantera GT5-S

DeTomaso Pantera is missing its original Ford engine after Shelby installed many different drivetrains.

The odds are good that the Covid-19 pandemic has you stuck in the hose, where you are unable to get out and enjoy your Ford Mustang. If you are a lover of high-performance American vehicles, you can get some reprieve on Monday, March 30 when the new show “Driven” debuts on the Discovery channel. In this first episode, the team tackles the task of restoring Carroll Shelby’s 1987 DeTomaso Pantera GT5-S.

The DeTomaso Pantera was powered by a Ford V8. This legendary Italian-American supercar is without an engine. It is also in pretty rough physical shape, but the cast of Driven brings it back to its original glory in the first episode of this new series. In addition to restoring this rare machine, we also get an interesting history lesson on the Ford-powered supercar that helped to develop the Dodge Viper.

Driven on Discovery

The new show Driven is hosted by Beau Boeckmann, Dave Shuten and “Mad Mike” Martin. Boeckmann (below, left) is the president and COO of Galpin Auto Sport. Shuten (below, right) is a well-known custom car builder. Mad Mike (shown below in the interior shot) is a customization expert. He is best known for his time on MTV’s Pimp My Ride. Galpin was also involved with that show. Driven takes a much more serious approach to restoring unique vehicles.

In the trailer above from the Discovery channel’s YouTube channel, we can see that the trio of hosts work with a variety of different vehicles. It looks as though they travel around, acquiring unique vehicles that are in need of mechanical or physical repair. Once located, they bring them back to the Galpin Auto Sport shop to be restored. In the first episode, they focus their attention on Carroll Shelby’s 1987 DeTomaso Pantera GT5-S. The simple fact that this rare supercar was owned by Mr. Shelby would be reason enough for the car to be featured on the show. However, this car has an even greater history.

Shelby’s Pantera GT5-S

In the 1980s, Carroll Shelby and Lee Iacocca used Shelby’s 1987 DeTomaso Pantera GT5-S for the early development stages of the Dodge Viper. The Mopar supercar obviously came to market with a naturally aspirated V10. Prior to that decision, these two high-performance geniuses were considering a twin-turbocharged V8.

This particular Pantera was fitted with several different engines over the years. It was basically used as a drivetrain test mule for other vehicles. This includes a twin-turbocharged Dodge V8. At some point, it was taken out of service without an engine. After Carroll Shelby passed, this Pantera was sent to auction with many of his other personal vehicles and it was sold as-is. There was no engine and the body was in rough shape.

It is unclear who actually owns the car when it is being restored in the first episode of Driven. That may be part of the history lesson that accompanies the restoration process.

Finally, it appears as though the hosts take the Pantera out on a test track once it is completed. This means that we will get to see the car be fully brought back to life.

Again, Driven debuts on Discovery on Monday, March 30 at 9 p.m. Eastern Central Time, but you will want to check your local listings for your local time.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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