The History of De Tomaso Read More Alfa Romeo’s incredible 33 Stradale plans to hit 207mph at Nardò There are many Italian Car Makers that cause grown men and women to melt and gain a thirst to ravage for their chequebooks. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani, Maserati and even at times, Alfa Romeo. But if you’re a Gen-Z with Instagram and TikTok one thing is guaranteed, you’ve probably never heard of Italy’s other famous supercar maker, De Tomaso. De Tomaso was founded in 1959 by Argentinian Racing Driver Alejandro De Tomaso, (fairly ironically 40 years later, another Italian Supercar Maker was founded by an Argentinian). De Tomaso though is nothing like Pagani, they weren’t so much focused on crafting an exquisite piece of art, they were more about light bodies and big horsepower. When making a supercar, the body is important. To create something light, sharp and aerodynamically proficient that also turns heads every time it rolls down a street. However, that was the easy stage, De Tomaso had contracted with the Italian Design house Ghia with famous designer Giugiaro having a hand in designing the bodies. The more complicated stage is the engine. Developing an engine is both expensive and risky, especially for one powering a lightweight thoroughbred. The easier solution is to partner with a manufacturer known for building dependable and powerful engines that can fit easily in any car. Carroll Shelby did this with British Company AC when he designed the iconic Shelby Cobra, breaking out a deal with Ford to supply their dependable and simple but powerful V8s. And De Tomaso, did very much the same, breaking out a deal with Ford to supply their big V8s for their cars. And in a funny twisted fate, De Tomaso’s first all-American-powered Italian supercar was named the Mangusta, because as we all know a Mongoose makes a living out of destroying Cobras. This recipe continued with De Tomaso’s most iconic car, the Pantera, a car so popular they built it from 1972 all the way to 1993. Undeniably the charm of De Tomaso’s supercars was simple. What we had here was a beautiful and desirable Italian supermodel but at its heart, a simple all-American babe. This not only meant these cars were fast but they were easy to maintain, replacing the entire engine in a Pantera cost about the same as simply repairing the valves of a Lamborghini. Fall and Revival However just because a car maker has a clever idea doesn’t necessarily mean it’s an immediate success. De Tomaso might have had an idea that could’ve lasted but ultimately the brand lacked the kudos of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati and sadly never really made a name for itself globally. Read More DeTomaso "almost ready" to deliver their first hypercar Due to this, there were limited sales, low production numbers and a lack of innovation. Where companies like Ferrari and Lamborghini were constantly innovating, De Tomaso was ultimately sticking to the same Italian American recipe that had made their cars so iconic. Sadly this wasn’t enough, and by 2004, De Tomaso closed its doors, permanently. However, in 2015, De Tomaso was acquired by Ideal Team Ventures Ltd, a Hong Kong-based investment firm that specialises in acquiring small niche Automotive manufacturers. They had already acquired Apollo Automobil builders of the Intenza Emozione. The vision was clear for De Tomaso, to build a car that captured the spirit of icons like the Mangusta and Pantera. The P72: De Tomaso’s New Tribute Car And the car you see in the pictures above is that spirit holder. It’s called the P72, both in reference to the Pantera’s first build date of 1972 and the fact that 72 of these cars will be built, each costing $1.75 million each. The prototype P72 was unveiled at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed and needless to say, all were excited. All of us prayed it wouldn’t be some pointless knock-off as a teaser for what a car could be. And sure enough, just yesterday, 6 years later, De Tomaso announced their beginning production of the first customer P72. You have to admire that about De Tomaso, they made a promise and now they’ll deliver. But unfortunately, you can't buy one, all 72 P72s have been sold, The P72’s design: As graceful as the Italian Alps There’s no denying the P72 is a truly gorgeous car. The bodywork, penned by Jowyn Wong of Wyn Design, pays tribute to iconic 1960s endurance racers like the Ferrari P3 and Porsche 914. The body is made mostly of carbon fibre and like a McLaren is bolted to the monocoque, carbon fibre chassis, giving this car an approximate weight of just under 1400kg. Just as beautiful as the exterior though is the interior. Jewel-like toggle switches, rose gold accents, and milled aluminium parts create a truly special and immersive place to sit. And just an older racer, the seats are fixed with the pedals and steering being adjustable. But best of all, this car features a six-speed manual that like a Pagani features an exposed gear linkage made up of 179 components. There’s no flappy paddle option, it’s manual or nothing. The P72’s Powerplant: Raging, Roaring and All American A mentioned above, the P72 was designed as a tribute to the legendary cars that came before. So that’s why in the middle of the P72 you won’t find a bespoke V12 or a hybridised V6, but instead an all-American, Roush-tuned, Ford-derived, dry-lump supercharged 5.0-liter V8, developing a monstrous 700 horsepower and 608 lb-ft of torque. Now De Tomaso have yet to comment on the 0-62mph and top speed figures but with around 500 horsepower per tonne, this car will be blisteringly quick. But better still it’s not the power, but the way it's delivered. It’s 700 horsepower through the rear wheels only via a six-speed manual gearbox. And it’s not just in a straight line where this will impress. The P72’s chassis was developed to LMP1 endurance racing standards, sharing many components with the Apollo Intensa Emozione. However, it features bespoke pushrod suspension with three-way adjustable dampers which assist in its razor-sharp handling if you concentrate. However, there are no driver aids of any sought, it’s just you and the machine, so if you don’t concentrate, it will eat you up alive. All the while, your ears bleed from the roaring rage of and real All-American V8. Better yet, there is no deadening or fake noise through the speakers, it's raucous, raw, unplugged rage. How a Tribute Car Should Be? As a technical machine, the De Tomaso P72 can’t even compare to the modern breed of supercars that cost less than a quarter as much. A Lamborghini Revuelto is faster, a Ferrari 296 is more capable and nicer to drive, a Pagani Utopia is more exquisite and even the average Maserati MC20 could keep up, possibly overtake it. But that misses the point. This isn’t a supercar, it’s a tribute, a reminder of what made De Tomaso so special. A beautiful body but a simple, easily maintained engine and a back-to-basics drive. A gorgeous Italian exterior, with a simple red, white and blue heart. It's Olivia Culpo with a tax disk, and you have to love it for that. F1rstMotors Facts and FiguresManufacturerDe Tomaso Automobil LtdModelP72Year of Release2025Engine5.0l Supercharged V8Horsepower700 hpTorque608 lb–ft0–62mph (100km/h)N/ATop SpeedN/AWeight~1,400kg (1.4 tonnes)Power to Weight500 hp per tonneGearbox6–speed ManualDriven WheelsRear Wheel DrivePrice$1,750,000 Source: TopGear
