For those that are unfamiliar with the De Tomaso brand, the Italian marque was founded by race-car driver Alejandro de Tomaso in 1959. Mr. de Tomaso is well regarded for his pioneering work in the development of mid-engine road cars, with his most notable vehicle being the De Tomaso Pantera (produced from 1971 to 1993). De Tomaso gained additional fame for their production of Formula One cars and their nearly two decade long ownership of Maserati. All of this heritage nearly vanished with the passing of Alejandro in 2003, however in 2014 when the brand was purchased by Hong Kong based Ideal Team Ventures, De Tomaso was given a new chance at life.
In advance of the 2019 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the newly revived De Tomaso Automobili celebrated the brand’s 60th anniversary with the unveiling of the mind numbingly beautiful P72. The design of the P72 harkens back to the De Tomaso prototype vehicles of the mid 20th century such as the sport 1000, sport 2000 and P70. The endless lines of the all new P72 are the product of a collaboration between De Tomaso and Wyn Design. Both the interior and exterior design created a model that is utterly timeless with proportions that are without fault and ideal for superior performance. The De Tomaso team has titled the P72 as a ‘Modern-Day Time Machine’.
On the subject of the P72 paying homage to the original P70, Peter Brock, the P70’s designer, stated, “When I was told this new De Tomaso is an “homage” to my P70 Sports racer I was honored. I had no idea my concept from the mid ‘60s would in any way be influential to a car being presented today. My first impressions of the new DeTomaso are all so positive I hardly know where to begin. The exterior form is so well done it invites you to keep walking around, admiring every subtle detail. In this day of modern super GT’s it’s difficult to stand out for more than a short time. With its design, engineering and technical specifications I think this De Tomaso P72 will set a new standard.”
De Tomaso has stated that the P72 will be limited to just 72 examples. The manual transmission pays tribute to past De Tomasos and promises owners a more engaged driving experience that is fresh, exhilarating, and nostalgic. The P72’s chassis is based off an all-carbon fibre chassis featured on the Apollo IE. Full technical details are yet to be released, however we have heard rumors of an 8 litre petrol engine.
“We took our time, we digested, we read, we studied. We learned more and more about Alejandro and the incredible achievements that he had attained. In reality, when most people hear the word De Tomaso, the only thing that comes to mind is the Pantera. This is a true icon and the most successful car of the brand. However, our approach is not solely product driven, it is driven by history and the brand.” stated Norman Choi, Chairman of De Tomaso
De Tomaso is now accepting registrations of interest via soft deposits in advance of the release of additional technical details. We still are curious to know of the cars final technical details, however, based on what we’ve already seen, the forecasted base price of 750,000 euros may be the steal of the decade.
The De Tomaso Automobili dealer network is planned to consist of Miller Motorcars in North America, Joe Macari Performance for the U.K. and the Middle East market, Louwman Exclusive for Europe, and SPS Automotive for Asia.
Images courtesy of: De Tomaso Automobili
Image Credit: G.F. Williams
