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De Tomaso Modena SpA is an Italian car-manufacturing company. It was founded by the Argentine-born Alejandro de Tomaso (1928–2003) in Modena in 1959. The company went into liquidation in 2004 despite this, new cars were still being made by De Tomaso as of 2005 Originally, De Tomaso produced various prototypes and racing cars, including a Formula 1 car for Frank Williams's team in 1970.
De Tomaso's first road-going production model was the Vallelunga, introduced in 1963. This striking mid-engined sports car was propelled with a 104 bhp (78 kW) Ford Cortina engine, and had a top speed of 215 km/h (134 mph). It featured an aluminium backbone chassis, which was to become De Tomaso's technological trademark. The first 5 cars were produced in aluminum, while production cars had fibreglass bodywork.
The first De Tomaso produced in anything like significant numbers, the Mangusta, introduced in 1966, was also the first to be developed in association with Ford, a firm which was to have a decisive influence on De Tomaso's early life. With the Mangusta De Tomaso moved from European to American Ford engines; powered by a 4.7-litre iron-block V8 engine and with steel and aluminium coupé bodywork from Ghia – an Italian coachbuilder also controlled by Alejandro de Tomaso – the Mangusta could more than compete with contemporary Ferraris and Lamborghinis on looks, if not on cachet.
De Tomaso's first road-going production model was the Vallelunga, introduced in 1963. This striking mid-engined sports car was propelled with a 104 bhp (78 kW) Ford Cortina engine, and had a top speed of 215 km/h (134 mph). It featured an aluminium backbone chassis, which was to become De Tomaso's technological trademark. The first 5 cars were produced in aluminum, while production cars had fibreglass bodywork.
The first De Tomaso produced in anything like significant numbers, the Mangusta, introduced in 1966, was also the first to be developed in association with Ford, a firm which was to have a decisive influence on De Tomaso's early life. With the Mangusta De Tomaso moved from European to American Ford engines; powered by a 4.7-litre iron-block V8 engine and with steel and aluminium coupé bodywork from Ghia – an Italian coachbuilder also controlled by Alejandro de Tomaso – the Mangusta could more than compete with contemporary Ferraris and Lamborghinis on looks, if not on cachet.
About 400 examples were built until production ended in 1971.
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