During the sixties and seventies, there was an alternative brand for wealthy individuals who were lusting after an Italian sports car. Those who would turn up their nose at the very thought of buying a Lamborghini Miura P400, due to its tractor related heritage, and find the notion of investing in a mid-engined Ferrari 308 GTB as crass could opt for a De Tomaso. The third Italian brand that would scratch their itch and elevate them to the lofty heights of being a true car connoisseur.
Full of Italian flair and famed for their outright speed and power, De Tomaso sports cars garnered a faithful following of fans who sought to experience the ultimate in motoring thrills. These included famous owners, such as Sir Jackie Stewart and Elvis Presley, who famously shot at his own car for not starting, who helped build the brand's reputation for making bespoke sought-after vehicles.
Yet before the more popular V8-powered offerings emerged to bask in the limelight, there was the Vallelunga, the first of its breed and an often forgotten example of motoring purity pointing towards the motorsport origins where De Tomaso actually started. A sleek, modestly powered coupe, here are 10 things everyone forgot about the De Tomaso Vallelunga.
10 De Tomaso
Born in Argentina, Alejandro De Tomaso fled to Italy in 1955 and settled in Modena. A keen racing driver, he competed in four Formula One races before establishing the De Tomaso motor company in 1959
Having established itself as a builder of prototype vehicles and race cars, De Tomaso turned its attention to creating road cars featuring its now trademark use of a radical aluminum backbone chassis.
9 The Vallelunga
The gorgeous-looking Vallelunga, unveiled in 1963, was the companies first road-going offering. A mid-engined sports car that originally had an aluminum body before production swapped to fiberglass in 1965.
Named after the Italian racing circuit which is home to the Rome Grand Prix, the Vallelunga happily shouts loudly and proudly about its heritage and roots, and has been featured in the New York Museum of Modern Art.
8 Ford Heart
At the center of this sleek Italian beauty lay a rather basic powerplant lifted from a Ford Cortina. The 1.6-liter straight four Kent engine made 104 hp at 6,400 rpm and utilized twin Weber carburetors. Further tuning and fettling could result in an additional 30 hp.
Weighing in at only 700 kg, the Vallelunga would hit 60 mph in a very eager 7 seconds, run on to a top speed of 125 mph, and, thanks to excellent chassis balance, could carve its way through a series of corners with ease.
7 Italian Flair
Bursting with appeal and neat design flourishes, the cockpit interior features plush carpeting, semi-reclined bucket style seats, plus an array of driver-focussed dials mounted in a wooden inlay and gated gear lever.
Styled by respected designer Carrozzeria Fissore, the coupe exterior was sleek and smooth to improve aerodynamics, whilst the rear engine bay was accessed via a large and, rather spectacular, opening glass hatch.
6 Aluminum Prototypes And Fiberglass Finals
Fissore originally created the prototype vehicles with aluminum shells over a rolling chassis, as this initially proved to be an ideal solution to De Tomaso's need for a lightweight and rigid body.
With production being moved to Ghia, a company owned by De Tomaso, the shell's material was swapped to fiberglass with a number of the original aluminum units, unclaimed by De Tomaso, being destroyed by the initial Fissore coachbuilders.
5 Backbone Chassis
Something of a De Tomaso trademark, the company's use of the backbone chassis debuted in the Vallelunga, a setup that saw the mid-mounted transmission and engine carry rear suspension loads to a central beam.
A system favored in motorsports, the backbone chassis emphasized De Tomaso's background in racing and its interest in utilizing this technology to road cars, presenting a unique selling point when tempting potential buyers away from other Italian brands.
4 Borrowed Parts
Created from an amalgamation of collated parts from a number of motoring manufacturers, the De Tomaso cherry-picked suitable items to fit in with the ethos of making a focussed and competent racer for the road.
Sourcing the steering system from Renault, the suspension parts from Triumph, Campagnolo Amadori brakes, Ford Essex 1.5-liter engine, and a four-speed transmission in a VW housing, De Tomaso chose what was best for the purpose.
3 Limited Numbers
As a very low volume specialist vehicle, only 58 completed coupes were made, 53 with a fiberglass body and 5 with the prototype aluminum shells. A very rare one-off Spider was also created as a side project.
Seemingly having lost interest in the project and wanting to create something far more ambitious, Alejandro De Tomaso shelved the short-lived Vallelunga in favor of the more brawny V8-powered Mangusta.
2 Sought After Prize
With so few examples of the Vallelunga having been released into the wild, and as it marks the first road-going production car created by De Tomaso, used examples are coveted by enthusiasts and collectors alike.
Those seeking to hunt down and acquire one of these motoring legends should budget to spend anything from $350,000 upwards with recent auction estimates getting closer to $400,000 for average to good examples.
1 Start Of A Legacy
Keen to make his mark within the luxury sports car market, De Tomaso moved to make the Mangusta, launching his new love affair with American sourced V8 engines, and building close to 400 examples.
From here on out, De Tomaso became the bespoke car of choice for those wanting Italian flair, power, and exclusivity. In 2019, the revived brand saw the retro-styled P72 debut at the British-based Goodwood Festival of Speed.