The Pantera is what De Tomaso, an Italian company that makes high-end cars, is best known for. But before the Pantera, De Tomaso’s first car, the Vallelunga, was made in large numbers. Ghia says this is the first type they’re making with a fiberglass body. The company De Tomaso Modena SpA was started in 1959 to make racing cars, but the Ford V-8-powered Pantera is what the company is most famous for. But the company’s founder, Alejandro de Tomaso, an Argentine who used to race in Formula One, wanted to make very fast cars for everyday use. He would be successful with cars like the Pantera and the Mangusta. In 1975, his business even bought Maserati. Before the scary Pantera, there was a small sports car driven by a Ford called the Panther Cub. The Vallelunga was De Tomaso’s first motorcycle, which was made in large numbers. It is a cute little mid-engine motorcycle that is both rare and delicate. On Bring a Trailer, which is part of Hearst Autos with Invoice Pricing, you can bid on this 1965 model. It is said to be the first De Tomaso that Carrozzeria Ghia has ever made. There had been prototypes with metal skins before, but this fiberglass-bodied car was the first of only 50 that were made, making it an important piece of history. De Tomaso’s first attempt was focused on making the car as light as possible. Still, the Pantera followed in the footsteps of cars like the Bizzarrini 5300 GT and Iso Grifo, which had American V-8 engines and Italian bodies built on coaches. But Ford gave it power in the form of a 1.5-liter Kent four-cylinder Cortina engine. It made 104 horsepower with the twin Weber carbs added, which was more than enough for a base weight of 1600 pounds. Hewland gears and an upside-down VW gearbox were used to make the four-speed gearbox. Even though it didn’t have much speed, the Vallelunga was as light as a Lotus Elan because the engine was in the middle of the boat. Most of the strength came from a pressed steel backbone frame with a multilink rear suspension and a control arm suspension up front. Because De Tomaso has raced before, it’s not a surprise that there are so many cast magnesium parts, such as 13-inch Campagnolo wheels. It steers with a rack-and-pinion, and all four wheels have disc brakes. The name of the car comes from the Autodromo Vallelunga, which is close to Rome. It is said that Marcel Schaub, an expert on the De Tomaso brand, owned this type from the 1990s onward. The twin carburetors were rebuilt, and the inside was fixed this year as part of a makeover. This early De Tomaso painting is not only beautiful, but it is also important to history. From the late 1940s to the 1960s, companies like Michelotti and Abarth made small cars that were all the same. These cars were called etcetera. With parts from Ford, Renault, and Volkswagen, as well as its Argentine past, the Vallelunga is a small work of art that looks like a watchmaker could have made it. It’s a little wildcat that has raced in Formula One and sports cars before. You can see it in all of its perfect glory by going to Bring a Trailer. On June 27, the sale is over.
