De Tomaso facts for kids
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Formerly
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De Tomaso Modena SpA |
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| Private | |
| Industry | Automotive |
| Fate | Filed for bankruptcy in 2012; Company sold to Ideal Team Ventures in 2014 |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Founder | Alejandro de Tomaso |
| Headquarters | Modena, Italy (1959–2004) |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Products | Supercars |
| Owner | Ideal Team Ventures Limited |
| Parent | Ford (1971–1974) |
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De Tomaso Automobili Ltd. is an Italian company that makes cars. It was started in 1959 by Alejandro de Tomaso in Modena, Italy. At first, the company built special cars for racing, including a Formula One car in 1970.
In 1971, the Ford Motor Company bought a large part of De Tomaso. However, Ford sold their share back in 1974. The De Tomaso brand was later bought in 2014 by a company from Hong Kong called Ideal Team Ventures. In 2019, this new company showed its first car, a cool sports car called the De Tomaso P72.
Contents
The Story of De Tomaso Cars
De Tomaso made both sports cars and fancy luxury vehicles. Two of their most famous cars were the Mangusta and the Pantera. These cars used powerful engines from Ford.
From 1976 to 1993, De Tomaso also owned Maserati, another Italian sports car maker. During this time, Maserati made cars like the Biturbo and the Quattroporte III. De Tomaso also owned the motorcycle company Moto Guzzi from 1973 to 1993.
The company faced financial difficulties in 2004. Later, in 2009, a person named Gian Mario Rossignolo bought the De Tomaso brand. He planned to build new cars in different factories.
However, in 2012, De Tomaso was for sale again because their plans did not get enough money. The original workshop in Modena was empty by 2014.
In 2015, a court approved the sale of the company to Consolidated Ideal Team Ventures from Hong Kong. This company planned to make De Tomaso cars in China.
Famous De Tomaso Sports Cars
Vallelunga: The First Road Car
The Vallelunga was De Tomaso's first car for regular roads. It was introduced in 1963 and named after a famous racing track. This car had its engine in the middle and used a 4-cylinder engine from a Ford Cortina. It could go as fast as 215 kilometers per hour (134 mph).
The Vallelunga had a special steel frame, which became a common feature for De Tomaso cars. Its body was made of aluminum or fiberglass. About 60 Vallelunga cars were made in total.
Mangusta: A Car with American Power
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The Mangusta came out in 1966 and was the first De Tomaso car made in larger numbers. With the Mangusta, De Tomaso started using bigger American Ford engines. This car had a 4.7-liter V8 engine.
Its body was designed by Ghia, an Italian car design company also owned by Alejandro de Tomaso. Around 400 Mangustas were built before production stopped in 1971.
Pantera: The Most Popular De Tomaso
The Pantera took over from the Mangusta in 1971. It had a powerful 351 Cleveland Ford V8 engine and a sleek, wedge-shaped body. Ford helped De Tomaso sell Panteras in the USA through their Lincoln-Mercury dealerships.
Between 1971 and 1973, De Tomaso made 6,128 Panteras. This was the most cars De Tomaso ever produced. After 1973, Ford stopped selling Panteras in the USA. However, De Tomaso continued to build the Pantera for other parts of the world, but in much smaller numbers.
These later Panteras were mostly built by hand. A newer version, the Pantera 90 Si, came out in 1990. Only 41 of these were made before the Pantera was replaced in 1993 by the Guarà.
Guarà: A Modern Design
The Guarà started production in 1993. It was designed by Carlo Gaino and used parts from Ford and BMW. The Guarà was available as a coupé (a car with a fixed roof) and a barchetta (an open-top car). Like most De Tomaso cars, only a limited number of Guaràs were made.
Biguà and Other Projects
In the early 2000s, De Tomaso planned two other cars, but they didn't work out. One was a convertible called the Biguà. It was developed with an American company called Qvale. But the partnership didn't last, and Qvale took over the car, renaming it the Qvale Mangusta.
De Tomaso also started a project in 2002 to build off-road vehicles in Italy with a Russian company. However, no cars were built, and De Tomaso stopped operations in 2004 after Alejandro de Tomaso passed away in 2003.
P72: A New Beginning
The P72 is a new sports car with a classic look. It was shown in 2019 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. This car is a tribute to an older race car from the 1960s called the P70. The P72's design reminds people of the race cars from the 1960s.
The inside of the car looks modern and fancy. The car's strong frame is shared with the Apollo Automobil's Intensa Emozione, a car from De Tomaso's sister company. Only 72 units of the P72 will be sold.
P900: A Track-Only Hypercar
In November 2022, De Tomaso announced a super-fast car called the P900. This car is only for racing on tracks. It was planned to have a 900 horsepower V12 engine that could run on special carbon-neutral fuels. De Tomaso planned to make only 18 P900s, with a starting price of $3 million. However, this project was later stopped.
De Tomaso Luxury Cars
Even though De Tomaso is known for fast sports cars, they also made a few luxury cars in the 1970s and 1980s.
The 1971 Deauville was a luxury sedan. It had the same engine as the Pantera, but it was in the front of the car. The Deauville's design was angular and had four doors. Only 244 Deauvilles were ever made. A special station wagon version was built for Alejandro de Tomaso's wife.
In 1972, De Tomaso introduced a coupé version of the Deauville called the Longchamp. It had a slightly shorter frame and the same Ford V8 engine. Its body design was quite different. A total of 409 Longchamp cars were built until production ended in 1989.
De Tomaso and Other Car Companies
Maserati
With help from the Italian government, De Tomaso took over Maserati in 1976. Maserati had been losing money. The first Maserati car introduced under De Tomaso's ownership was the Kyalami. It was a redesigned Longchamp with Maserati's own V8 engine.
Other cars made during De Tomaso's time owning Maserati included the Biturbo and the Ghibli. De Tomaso used a smart idea called "platform sharing" to save money. This meant using the same basic car parts for different models. In 1993, De Tomaso sold Maserati to Fiat S.p.A.
Innocenti
In 1976, another car company called Innocenti also became part of the De Tomaso Group. From 1976 to 1987, the most popular Innocenti car was the Innocenti Mini de Tomaso. This was a sporty version of the Innocenti Mini. De Tomaso sold Innocenti to Fiat S.p.A. in 1993.
De Tomaso's Comeback Efforts
2009 Plans
In 2009, the De Tomaso brand was bought by Gian Mario Rossignolo. He started a new company called "De Tomaso Automobili SpA." His plan was to make three types of cars: crossovers, limousines, and two-seater sports cars.
2011 De Tomaso Deauville Concept
At the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, De Tomaso showed a new car model. This new De Tomaso Deauville was planned to be a five-door car with all-wheel drive. It looked a bit like cars from BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
The company planned to offer different engines for the Deauville. However, this Deauville remained a concept car and never went into production. The company faced financial problems, which stopped the plans.
2014 New Ownership
The rights to the De Tomaso brand were bought by Norman Choi of Ideal Team Ventures in 2014. Under Choi's leadership, the company worked to bring the brand back to life. Five years later, in 2019, they showed their first new car, the P72 sports car. This happened during the 60th anniversary of the De Tomaso brand.
The P72 was developed secretly under the name "Project P." It uses a special strong frame from the Apollo Intensa Emozione, a car made by De Tomaso's sister company. Only 72 of these P72 cars will be sold.
De Tomaso in Formula One Racing
De Tomaso also made a few appearances in Formula One races from 1961 to 1963. They used their own car designs with different engines. In 1962, the "De Tomaso 801" appeared, but it didn't qualify for the race.
De Tomaso later built a Formula One car for Frank Williams Racing Cars to use in the 1970 Formula One season. This car was not very competitive. Sadly, in the Dutch Grand Prix, the De Tomaso 505/38 crashed and caught fire, and the driver, Piers Courage, passed away. The team continued for a short time but then stopped their partnership with De Tomaso.
List of De Tomaso Cars
- Vallelunga
- Sport 5000
- De Tomaso 5000
- De Tomaso Sport 2000
- Mangusta
- Pantera
- Deauville
- Longchamp
- Guarà
- Biguà
- P72
- P900
