Ex-racing driver Alessandro de Tomaso, born in Argentina, and his wife, American ex-racing driver Isabell Haskell, moved to Italy in the late1950s. There De Tomaso built various prototypes including racing cars. During an association with Ford came his first production car, the Mangusta, with a 4728cc V8 Ford engine and a Ghia coupé body. Later, in 1970, the 5796cc V8 Pantera appeared. It was a sports coupé with a top speed of 160 mph. The same year, the Mangusta acquired a bigger, 4949cc V8 engine and there was now also the 5796cc Deauville, which had luxurious limousine bodywork. New in l972 was the "Longchamp", a luxurious coupé. Built in small numbers, these expensive cars are under steady development. By 1979 the range included the 300 bhp mid-engined Pantera L, the 330bhp Pantera GTS, and the 300bhp Longchamp and Deauville. ©VEA
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