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This is Dave Adler interviewing Dave Berman here
at the Molson GP race in Toronto, Canada.

DLA: Before we go into your car, tell us what your position is in this racing event. Why are you even here Dave? There are no Panteras on the track.

DB: Yea, unfortunately there aren’t any Panteras here. We’re here as the promoters and owners of the Motorola Cup Street Stock Championship Series, part of the program at the Molson Indy Toronto. It is the fifth race of our eight race championship.

DLA: What type of cars participate in the Motorola Cup?

DB: We have four classes of cars in Motorola Cup where over 100 makes and models are eligible to compete. It is the ultimate proving ground for manufacturers current high performance cars and is the only place basic showroom stock domestic and import cars can compete in an endurance road racing format. Currently the four classes are as follows:

Grand Sports Class (GS) cars include: Acura NSX, BMW M3, Chevrolet Camaro, Ferrari 348, Ford Mustang Cobra R, Lexus GS400, Mazda RX7 Twin Turbo, Mercedes CLK, Pontiac Firebird, Porsche 911 and Toyota Supra Turbo.

Sports Class (S) cars include: Acura Integra R, Audi S6, BMW 328, BMW Z3, Eagle Talon AWD, Toyota Supra.

Touring Class (T) cars include: Acura Integra, Audi A4 Quattro, Honda Prelude SRV, Mazda 626, Mazda MX-6, Nissan 240 SX, Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Compact Class (C) cars include: Dodge Neon, Honda Civic Si, Honda Del Sol, Hyundai Tiburon, Mazda Miata, Oldsmobile Achieva SC.

DLA: Who are some of your clients besides obviously Motorola?

DB: Our sponsors include Castrol, Deringer, Hoosier, Motorola, Sony, STP, Sunoco plus many other non automotive clients. Our clients include the major manufacturers, and we do a considerable amount of work with Ford.

DLA: How is Ford ranked as a car manufacturer, we know how they are in the US, but what about Canada?

DB: Well I think we are now at the point where they are going to surpass General Motors. Car and truck car sales in Canada pretty much mirror those in the United States at about 10%-12% of the volume

The engine from the 1982 Pantera is a 351-C with a Hall Pantera ignition, GTS headers and a great deal of detail work.

DLA: Theoretically, could a late model Pantera participate like the LeMans Pantera -the ADA car?

DB: What year is that?

DLA: 1996

DB: Yes it could compete. Actually it would compete in our new Super Grand Sports Class where it will race against the new Corvettes, Ferraris, Porsches, Vipers and other sports car superstars.

DLA: How did you get into this Motorola Cup, do you have a racing background yourself?

DB: No, actually, I was always a race fan. I own an ad agency and back in the late 70s we developed a racing promotion for one of our clients. It was hugely successful and over several years our client achieved wonderful results based on the program. During that time, we began a race team and developed a winning organization running Formula Ford 2000 and then Formula Atlantic. At the beginning, most of our expenditure was on the promotional side of the program as we built up our client’s sales. As sponsorship grew, we were able to invest in the engineering and eventually had winning operations on and off the track. Yet even when we were winning championships, we found our sponsors’ exposure value still limited to the ability of the series promoters to deliver quality television and major events. We decided to concentrate on series ownership in order to provide the kind of exposure sponsors needed.

DB: Yes. Our series have really been a help in launching the careers of many successful Canadian drivers. Greg Moore, Paul Tracy and Scott Goodyear are past graduates of our Formula Ford series. Indy Lights and Atlantic stars, Andrew Bordin, Alex Tagliani and many others are past winners in our series. One of the reasons Canadian drivers become so successful internationally is because they have competed in some very competitive series on some of the most difficult tracks. We have some fabulous tracks for drivers to learn on - Mosport being one of them and Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant being another. Drivers who can race on those kind of circuits can be quick just about anywhere else in the world. Our Canadian racing series offer many ways for them to get an early start, from karting all the way up the ladder.

DLA: I understand that next year the Motorola Cup will expand to more US tracks next year.

DB: Over the past few years we have enjoyed some top venues like the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, The 12 Hours of Sebring, The Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, Mid-Ohio and Watkins Glen. For 2000 we will also add Phoenix, Homestead and Road America.

DLA: Now what is amazing to me with this series is that there is so many different car manufacturers competing and it looks like on a pretty level playing field. How is that accomplished?

DB: Well, like all racing you will always have people who have more money than others, but we have seen in both of our series, Motorola Cup and Formula Ford, that although money is the lube for speed, it doesn’t always make the difference. There are teams spending three or four hundred thousand dollars running a car for a season and there are teams that probably spend fifty or sixty thousand dollars. If we look for example at the some of the class leaders, they are running on a Mom and Dad budget of somewhere around five or six thousand dollars a race. And in some cases they are beating a three car factory backed effort spending upwards of half a million dollars. So it is not just a question of financing as much as it is engineering and talent.

DLA: I have seen some of your children here working at this event. What are their names and ages and what are their responsibilities?

DB: Eric is twenty-six and James is twenty-three. Eric is in his fourth year with us since graduating from college. His main responsibility is on the racing side of our operations. He looks after media, television and public relations for both series, and he is doing a terrific job. He is far more familiar with the competitors and entrants than I am today and I guess he will take on a lot more responsibility in the future – that is the only way I will get to spend time playing with my Panteras. James is learning the racing business but spends more of his time on the ad agency side working with key accounts.

DLA: Will this series be televised and if so when and what network that people will be able to see some of this action?

DB: The Motorola Cup series is televised on three networks - Speedvision in the US and CTV Sportsnet and RDS in Canada. The telecast season starts in October and runs through December.

DLA: Lets talk about Panteras. How did you become interested in Panteras in the first place?

DB: Well the first time I saw one I just fell in love with it. It passed me and I only got a glimpse from behind. I just chased after it in my Austin 850, flat out and barely keeping up with this guy just so I could look at that fabulous rear-view. When I found out what it was I spent the rest of my youth learning about them and making money so I could buy one.

DLA: Are there many Panteras in Canada?

DB: Apparently so, there are not as many in Canada as there are in the US, but I have seen ten at one place in Canada, in Montreal and I know most of the people that own them here. I don’t really know how many there are. Do you know how many there are world wide?

DLA: About nine thousand.

DB: Well I guess it depends on the year and the condition of the car - probably anywhere from fifty thousand for the early models up to eighty or so for a decent GTS type (CDN $ of course!).

DLA: Do the Panteras you have seen or even yours, are they cars that originated in Canada that were shipped to Canada initially or are these cars that are imported from the US or Europe?

DB: All of the Panteras that I have seen were European versions and I know that they came through one or two resources here. Italian guys that had brought them to Canada from Europe. Most of them were versions of 72 or 73 Panteras and then later on the Group 5 and GT5-S versions with the big delta wing.

DLA: Are there special import taxes or duties or fees to import a Pantera into Canada?

DB: I believe there are certain duties, but I don’t think they apply anymore to Panteras, I think it depends on the age of the car. I believe that after fourteen years there are no duties and most of the cars that are available now have already paid their duties and import taxes long ago, so most of the cars are free and clear.

DLA: What is the maximum speed limit in Canada?

DB: That's a good question. I have enough tickets to attest to the fact that I really don’t know. I think the posted speed limit is probably 100 kilometers per hour which is 60 miles an hour, but if you drive on the expressways or highways people are going 90 miles an hour which is 150 kilometers an hour and you don’t really get stopped unless you are considerably over that.

DLA: Have you ever had either of your Panteras out on a track?

DLA: Now which car was it or both?

DB: It was both actually. I lapped the 73 there. I remember we had rented the circuit for a photo shoot for one of our Formula 2000 promotions, so the track was ours. I took a few fast laps and then, coming around before the twisty part leading back to the hairpin, suddenly saw that there was a fence up - they had closed off the track! But the brakes were good enough to stop. I did get a couple of good laps and the car handled real nice at a circuit like that. In later years I went out with the 82 and it was a huge difference - better shocks, and suspension and the brakes were so much better. The 73 had a strong motor probably stronger than the 82 that I have, but the 82 just handles and brakes so well.

DLA: Is it difficult to insure Panteras in Canada?

DB: Only as difficult as it may be expensive - I think it cost me $3,000 to insure the each of them, but there is a $3,000 deductible.

DLA: Is Canada a no fault system?

DB: Yes, there is no fault insurance so everybody is covered regardless of whose fault it was.

DLA: Now in terms of your sons, do either of them have any interest in Panteras?

DB: Well they have interest in driving them and they are starting to help me work on them more often. I guess the more they fix them with me, the more I will let them drive. But I remember when I was young and I always make them available to the boys for a big date or when they have to impress someone. If they say they just want to cruise around it doesn’t work for me. But if they say they have a big date and want to blow off some weenie in a Porsche or Ferrari then I am always willing.

DLA: But it isn’t a dream car for them?

DB: I don’t know, I really don’t know, I have never asked them that question. They are kids from today and you know they like grew up on German cars - GTI’s Passats and Audis are what they like. They sort of laugh at my outdated Detroit Iron approach to cars.

DLA: What is the fuel cost in Canada per gallon. We haven’t gassed up yet.

DB: Good question, I don’t know. I guess don’t pay attention to it. I have a Mustang SVT Cobra that at speed is like needing an extended gas station hose behind you all the time. I guess I could slow down. I also have a Ford Expedition that uses a lot of gas but I guess that if I had to pay attention, I wouldn’t buy these kinds of cars.

DLA: Are either of your Panteras subject to any emissions certification?

DB: It is still unbelievable and I forget every time I climb in it. I forget all the attention it gets. Even old ladies stop and turn. Everybody looks. People come right up to you, stick their head right through the window and start climbing underneath while you are stopped in traffic. I guess now I understand why I did the same thing - it was such a mind blower when I saw my first Pantera. I guess you just don’t see anything like it on the street. When I park, it’s covered with nose grease on all of the windows when I return. You can actually see people’s faces mouth the word “wow” as you pass. It’s a little uncomfortable. I would rather have a little less notice so I tend to drive it early morning or late at night when there is not much traffic and I can just take it for a drive without all the gawking.

DLA: How much usage in terms of driving do you do a year? Are you able to enjoy the car that much?

DB: Well I would love to have more time to enjoy them, but since I don’t drive in the wet and I don’t drive them on really hot days I probably do a few hundred miles combined in a year.

DLA: Who do you have work on the cars?

DB: I bought both cars from John Scotti who I knew when he had a little Corvette shop here in Montreal. He worked on my first Corvette and he knew all about Panteras. He helped me locate my first one and rebuilt it. Now some twenty years later he is the largest Volvo and Suburu dealer here in Montreal. He has a huge exotic car operation and has five or six gorgeous Panteras in his garage. He is also the one of the largest Ferrari and Lamborghini dealers in Montreal. Although he loves to play with the cars he just doesn’t have the time like he used to – over the years he has helped me learn about the cars and I have begun working on them myself.

DLA: What has been the biggest problem you have had with either car? Which car has been the most problem, if any?

DB: Well the 73 is older and I’d love to do some things to it. The brakes and the suspension could be improved - new shocks and softer springs would probably be a good idea. I had ignition problems with it until I went to an all electronic system, from Hall Pantera. But I have not driven it that much recently. It is perfectly maintained and runs real well. I redid just about every other system on the car. I just wish I could spend more time with it.

The 82 ignition misfires under heavy load. If you just drive the car gently and slowly build up the revs the car runs great, but every time you really stomp on it and get up around 5000 I have a terrible miss. The only way to replace it is to replace absolutely everything on the electronic ignition - from the coil to the plugs. I would like to be able to find out what it is, but I just haven’t had the time so I just change one thing at a time instead of changing everything. Its not arcing, its not internal in the engine, it is just the electronics and I don’t know what it is for the life of me. This seems to be the most frequent problem I have with the car. Other than that, the car is really a perfect daily driver.

DLA: Now I notice both cars are white. Is that anything more than coincidence or are you someone that favors the purity of white?

DB: This is a car that I have only seen in colors all my life, but I am one of these guys who likes cars only white or black. I saw a black Pantera once and it is about the only other color I could see it in. But although all cars look nice in colors in a showroom, just about every car I have owned in the past twenty years have either been white or black.

DLA: Now just like women can be of different personalities, which of the two cars do you favor and what is the difference between them.

DLA: Does it seem to have more room in the cabin than the 73?

DB: Yes, I should have installed the lower floor in the 73 like I have in the 82. I should have done that in the 73 when I was redoing it but I didn’t realize how confining the space is when you have a couple of inches of head room. It feels wider, but I don’t know if it really is.

DLA: Do you plan to keep both cars?

DB: Forever.

DLA: So you have blue blood in your veins. You are a Ford man.

DB: No actually I was a total GM guy up until a few years ago.

DLA: Oh, really?

DB: Yeah, I’ve been GM all the way through. Corvettes - I can think of every Chevy and Olds I ever had right up to Blazers, Yukons and Suburbans. I used to do a considerable amount of business with GM, but over the past years I have enjoyed an increasing relationship with Ford. I decided to switch everything over and I’m glad I did.

DLA: Now are you able to do any of the work or maintenance yourself or do you even care to?

DB: Well I would care to if I was qualified. My problem is I just don’t know enough to do more. I started to do the things that were minor and I have learned as I have gone along. I got help in the early days from John Scotti. And more recently Pantera International and Hall Pantera have made me feel very at home asking for advice and help. There are a lot of repairs out of my realm of ability so there are a lot of things I can’t do. But I am amazed at what I have learned and what I have done so far rebuilding suspensions, redoing wiring, trim, interiors and maintenance work. The best part is that I can take my time and be as much as a perfectionist as I want in every little job I do. Of course it takes more time than I’ve got. I should add that when this issue goes to press the cars will be landing at Hall Pantera. I am depending on Gary’s direction to see where we go. I am planning some serious work on the cars. I’ve owned them for years and it’s time to get them ready for the next century. I will be anxious to show you the results.

DLA: What would you say overall is the best and most rewarding thing about owning one of your cars?

DB: Everything about it is rewarding. Just looking at them is a thrill – and I’ve been looking at them ever since I got my first one. Every day I open the garage just to look at them. Each time I start them up I am rewarded because they simply have the best sound there is. And when I drive them they just make me grin like an idiot. They are the best thing out there. Some 28 years later they are still that good.