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 cool cars. It was started in 1959 by Alejandro de Tomaso in Modena, Italy.
At first, De Tomaso built special race cars and prototypes. They even made a Formula One car for a team called Frank Williams Racing Cars in 1970. Most of the money for the company came from Amory Haskell Jr.
In 1971, Ford Motor Company bought a big part of De Tomaso. But Ford sold their share back in 1974. Later, in 2014, a company from Hong Kong called Ideal Team Ventures bought the De Tomaso brand. In 2019, the new company showed off its first car, a cool retro-style sports car called the De Tomaso P72.
Contents
The Story of De Tomaso
De Tomaso grew to make both fast sports cars and fancy luxury cars. Two of their most famous cars were the Mangusta and the Pantera. These cars used powerful Ford engines.
From 1976 to 1993, De Tomaso even owned another famous Italian sports car maker, Maserati. 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 some tough times and closed down in 2004. However, new cars were still being made for a while after that. In 2009, a person named Gian Mario Rossignolo bought the De Tomaso name. He started a new company, hoping to build cars in old factories.
But in 2012, the company faced financial difficulties and legal problems. The original workshop in Modena was left empty by 2014.
In 2015, a court approved the sale of the company to Consolidated Ideal Team Ventures, a company from Hong Kong. The new owners planned to build De Tomaso cars in China.
Awesome De Tomaso Sports Cars
The Vallelunga
The Vallelunga was De Tomaso's first car for regular roads. It came out in 1963 and was named after a famous Italian race track. This car had its engine in the middle, like many sports cars. It used a 4-cylinder engine from a Ford Cortina and could go up to 215 km/h (134 mph).
The Vallelunga had a special strong frame made of steel. Its body was first made of aluminum, then later of fiberglass. Only about 60 Vallelungas were ever made.
The Mangusta
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The Mangusta was introduced in 1966. This was the first De Tomaso car made in larger numbers. With the Mangusta, De Tomaso started using bigger American Ford engines. The car had a powerful 4.7-liter V8 engine. Its cool steel and aluminum body was designed by Ghia, an Italian design company also owned by Alejandro de Tomaso. About 400 Mangustas were built before production stopped in 1971.
The Pantera
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The Pantera took over from the Mangusta in 1971. It had a Ford V8 engine and a sleek, wedge-shaped body designed by Tom Tjaarda. Ford helped De Tomaso sell Panteras in the USA through their Lincoln and Mercury dealerships.
Between 1971 and 1973, over 6,000 Panteras were made. This was the most cars De Tomaso ever produced. After 1973, Ford stopped selling the Pantera in the USA. But De Tomaso kept making the car for other parts of the world, though in much smaller numbers. These later Panteras were mostly built by hand. The Pantera was finally stopped in 1993 to make way for a new car.
The Guarà
The Guarà came after the Pantera, starting production in 1993. It was designed by Carlo Gaino. The Guarà used parts from Ford and BMW and had a special body made of composite materials. It 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 small number of Guaràs were made.
The Biguà and Off-Road Plans
In the early 2000s, De Tomaso planned two other cars, but they didn't work out. One was a two-seat 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 Mangusta. Production was short.
De Tomaso also started a project in 2002 to build off-road vehicles in Italy with a Russian company. They hoped to make many cars, but no cars were ever built. De Tomaso closed down in 2004 after Alejandro de Tomaso passed away in 2003.
The P72
The P72 is a modern 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 Le Mans races. Its inside has a modern feel with fancy instruments. The car shares its strong frame with another car called the Apollo Intensa Emozione. Only 72 of these special cars will be sold.
The P900
In 2022, De Tomaso announced an amazing car called the P900. This car is designed only for race tracks. It will have a super powerful 900 horsepower V12 engine. This engine is designed to run on special fuel that is better for the environment. De Tomaso plans to make only 18 P900s, and each one will cost a lot of money!
De Tomaso Luxury Cars
Even though De Tomaso is famous for its 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 powerful engine as the Pantera, but it was in the front. The Deauville's body was designed by Tjaarda and Ghia. Only 244 Deauvilles were ever made. A special station wagon version was even built for Alejandro de Tomaso's wife, Isabelle Haskell.
In 1972, De Tomaso introduced a coupé (a two-door car) based on the Deauville. It was called the Longchamp. It had a similar engine but a different body design. A total of 409 Longchamps were built until production ended in 1989.
Maserati and Innocenti
Maserati
With help from the Italian government, De Tomaso took over Maserati in 1976. Maserati had been losing money, and its previous owner didn't want to support it anymore. The first Maserati car introduced under De Tomaso's ownership was the Kyalami. It was a redesigned Longchamp with a Maserati engine.
Other cars made under De Tomaso's ownership included the Quattroporte III and IV, the Barchetta, and the Ghibli. De Tomaso used a smart idea called "platform sharing" to save money. This meant using the same basic parts for different car models. In 1993, De Tomaso sold Maserati to Fiat S.p.A. because sales were slow.
Innocenti
In 1976, another car company called Innocenti also became part of the De Tomaso Group. It was renamed Nuova Innocenti.
From 1976 to 1987, the most popular Innocenti car was the Innocenti Mini de Tomaso. This was a sporty version of the Innocenti Mini. It first had a 1275 cc engine, and later a 1.0-liter turbocharged engine.
De Tomaso sold Innocenti to Fiat S.p.A. in 1993, at the same time as Maserati.
The Company's Comeback
2009 Plans
In 2009, a former Fiat executive named Gian Mario Rossignolo bought the De Tomaso brand. 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 that looked like a mix between a hatchback and an SUV, with all-wheel drive. It had design elements similar to cars from BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
They planned to offer it with two gasoline engines and a diesel engine. However, this Deauville remained a concept car. The new company never started making cars, and the chairman faced legal problems. As a result, many employees lost their jobs.
2014 Acquisition
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, they showed their first new car, the P72 sports car, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. This was also the 60th anniversary of the De Tomaso brand! The P72 is built on a special frame shared with the Apollo Intensa Emozione, a car made by De Tomaso's sister company.
P900
In November 2022, De Tomaso announced a super-fast car just for race tracks, called the P900. This car will have a 900 horsepower V12 engine. It's designed to run on special, carbon-neutral fuels. De Tomaso plans to make only 18 P900s, and they will be very expensive.
De Tomaso in Formula One
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" race car appeared. It had a special V8 engine and a six-speed gearbox. This car entered some races but didn't qualify for the main event.
Later, De Tomaso built a Formula One car for the Frank Williams Racing Cars team to use in the 1970 Formula One season. This car was not very competitive. Sadly, in the Dutch Grand Prix, the car crashed and caught fire, and the driver, Piers Courage, passed away. The team continued with other drivers, but without good results, the partnership ended that year.
List of De Tomaso Cars
- Vallelunga
- Sport 5000 (also known as the 70P, P70 and Ghia DeTomaso)
- De Tomaso 5000
- De Tomaso Sport 2000
- Mangusta
- Pantera
- Deauville
- Longchamp
- Guarà
- Biguà
- P72
