Ted Geldberg tells us he’s owned his Ford-powered 1972 DeTomaso Pantera for some 15 years, and loves it even more after finishing a four-year resto. You might think it’s because he’s added lots of modern refinement, or perhaps because of the upgrade to a 500-plus horse fuel-injected 351 Cleveland. But you’ll have to read his email note to us below to see why the Pantera’s beauty means a lot, too:

Hi, Ford Performance! My name is Ted Geldberg. I have a Ford-powered 1972 De Tomaso Pantera that I've owned for about 15 years. I have just gotten it back from a four-year restoration / modification to make it more ‘user friendly.’

“During the restoration, we swapped the carburetor for fuel injection, transplanted a high-performance 351 Cleveland engine (with over 500 horsepower), replaced the interior with an all-new leather interior and C-4 buckets, replaced the windshield with modern flush glass, added seat-belt harnesses, plus new headers, an exhaust system, and cooling system upgrades, and gave it a very high quality respray.

“It is a Pre L, small-bumpered original bodystyle Pantera with a shaved rear end. The car is quick, extremely loud, and a huge-attention getter whenever I have it out. Although, not technically a Ford automobile, it was propelled by a Ford Mustang engine, distributed by Ford at Lincoln Mercury dealers from 1971-1974, and had continuing engineering help from Ford.

“It is also, in my humble opinion, the best example of 1970's Italian wedge design -- easily outclassing its closest counterpart, the Countach, from Lamborghini. For a 50-year-old design, it is still incredibly contemporary looking. Thanks for considering it for the Fan Spotlight!”

How YOU can Get In The Spotlight: For the past decade, one of the most popular features on FordPerformance.com and in our Fast News e-newsletter continues to be "Ford Fan Spotlight," where readers can send in their own reasons why they're fans of Ford Motor Company. You know who they are: Ford "superfans;" grassroots Ford racers; unique Ford vehicle owners; loyal Ford enthusiasts; notable Ford club people; special Ford families; and/or any avid supporter of Ford, Ford vehicles, Ford motorsports or Ford Performance who deserves a little bit of special recognition.

All you need to do to get you, your car or candidate considered is to send in a brief description (200-500 words or less) and a few photos (in .jpeg format, preferably 300 dpi) of a person (full name and hometown, please) and vehicle that you think Ford Performance should feature (and why) in the "Ford Fan Spotlight" for an upcoming installment of Fast News and posting on FordPerformance.com. Then email it to: ClubHub@Ford.com. Should you wish to send a video, you simply need to post it on www.YouTube.com (preferably 1-2 minutes long) and send in the link, along with a brief description, to that same ClubHub@Ford.com email address. We'll choose one submission each week. We hope to see YOU and your Ford in our Spotlight soon!