Alejandro de Tomaso facts for kids
de Tomaso c. 1965
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| Born | 10 July 1928 |
|---|---|
| Died | 21 May 2003 (aged 74) |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Argentine |
| Active years | 1957, 1959 |
| Teams | Scuderia Centro Sud, O.S.C.A. |
| Entries | 2 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1957 Argentine Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1959 United States Grand Prix |
Alejandro de Tomaso was an Argentine racing driver and a smart businessman. He was born on July 10, 1928, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He passed away on May 21, 2003, in Modena, Italy. He is best known for creating his own Italian sports car company, De Tomaso Automobili, in 1959.
Contents
Life and Early Career
Alejandro de Tomaso grew up in Argentina. His family was quite important in politics there. In 1955, he was involved in a plan against the Argentine president, Juan Perón. Because of this, he had to leave Argentina and moved to Italy.
He settled in a city called Modena. There, he married an American heiress named Isabelle Haskell.
His Racing Days
In 1957, Alejandro began his journey in the car world as a Formula One racing driver. He raced for a team called Scuderia Centro Sud. This team was based in Modena.
His first big race was the 1957 Argentine Grand Prix. He drove a Ferrari 500 car and finished in 9th place. He didn't race in the main Formula One series again that year. However, he did race in another event, the 1957 Buenos Aires Grand Prix. He finished 9th in that race too.
He later competed in the 1957 BRDC International Trophy in September. He drove for Automobili O.S.C.A. but crashed during the first part of the race. He returned to Formula One for one more race in 1959. He drove for O.S.C.A. again, in a Cooper T43. This was at the 1959 United States Grand Prix. Sadly, his brakes failed after 13 laps, and he had to stop. He never scored any championship points in Formula One.
Building His Own Car Company
In 1959, Alejandro de Tomaso started his own car company. It was called De Tomaso Automobili Spa. This company later became known as De Tomaso Modena.
At first, De Tomaso Automobili built special prototype cars and racing cars. They even made a Formula One car for Frank Williams' team in 1970.
Starting in 1963, De Tomaso Modena began making high-performance sports cars. These cars often had a special aluminium frame. This frame became a signature feature of his company's cars. Some famous De Tomaso sports cars include the Vallelunga (1963), the Mangusta (1966), and the very popular Pantera (1971). They also made the Guarà in 1993.
De Tomaso Modena also produced luxury cars. These included the Deauville (1971) and the Longchamp (1972).
Growing His Business Empire
During the 1960s and 1970s, Alejandro de Tomaso expanded his business. He bought several other Italian companies. These included car design studios like Ghia and Vignale. He also acquired motorcycle companies such as Benelli and Moto Guzzi.
In 1975, he even bought the famous sports car maker Maserati. Maserati was having financial problems, and Alejandro helped save it with help from the Italian government.
Over time, many of these companies were sold off. For example, Ghia was sold to Ford in 1973. Later, in 1993, Maserati was sold to Fiat.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1993, Alejandro de Tomaso had a stroke. After this, his son Santiago took over as the head of De Tomaso Modena.
Even after retiring, Alejandro stayed involved in car design. He helped create a sports version of the Daihatsu Charade car in 1994. This car was known as the Daihatsu Charade De Tomaso.
Alejandro de Tomaso passed away in Italy in 2003. He left behind a legacy as a passionate racer and a visionary car builder.
