A Legend Reborn: De Tomaso P72 celebrates 60th Anniversary
De Tomaso remains one of the greatest untold stories in automotive history whilst the core team behind Apollo Automobil is responsible for the revival of De Tomaso. Share
De Tomaso was founded in 1959 by racer and visionary Alejandro de Tomaso. Widely recognized for the most popular model, the Pantera, this merely scratches the surface of its rich history. Quattroruote perhaps quotes it best when they stated that Alejandro was, “One of the most controversial and active men in Italy’s industrial panorama.” A man with a vision, Alejandro was relentless in his pursuit with an unrivaled impetus to achieve beyond what people deemed fathomable. For starters, he produced some of the world’s first mid-engine road cars, developing Formula One cars with Dallara for Frank Williams and amassing a conglomerate of industrial holdings comprising Ghia, Innocenti, Vignale, Moto Guzzi, Benelli and owning Maserati from 1975 to 1993.
Since Alejandro’s passing in 2003 the true brand has been dormant. The spirit however, has lived on, thanks to the passionate international owners clubs. This year marks the 60th Anniversary of De Tomaso. To commemorate, the new De Tomaso team announce the launch of a new project, formally named the P72. The P72 is a tribute to the original P70. Speaking about the new P72, Norman Choi, of De Tomaso, said, “We are delighted to announce the launch of this exclusive car. We have devoted many days and nights developing a car that can live up to its predecessor. The P72 evokes the spirit of Alejandro de Tomaso, the brand and the eras that this car represents.”
A true modern-day time machine, the P72 will create a new segment in today’s market. A segment for those who have been yearning for a modern-day classic that is not only dressed with a timeless shape and an unspeakable elegance, but one that will provide a grand touring experience, making you feel as if you are back in 1960’s. P72 is truly De Tomaso’s statement car, to showcase not only the new design, but also the level of engineering execution and refinement instilled into everything the new team will produce.
Ryan Berris, De Tomaso’s General Manager and CMO said, “A similar way the Pantera created a new category when it debuted in 1970, the P72 will create a new benchmark of its own. We have created a modern-day time machine that pays homage to an integral part of history and a car with its own provenance. When the final specifications and pricing for the car is revealed, people will realize how it adheres to the six core foundational pillars of De Tomaso: Heritage, Passion, Racing, European Design, and WorldClass Performance at Extreme Value”. This car represents a glimpse into De Tomaso’s future, whilst an ode to the past.
Design – Perpetual Beauty
Celebrating its 60th anniversary, the design of the P72 is inspired from the early 60s of the racing prototype era vehicles, the sport 1000, sport 2000 and P70, some of the initial cars that were developed by De Tomaso. The P72’s evolutionary design focuses on timeless beauty and timeless proportions of the ’60’s Le Mans prototype vehicles into the modern era.
The P72 is a collaboration between De Tomaso and Wyn Design, much like the collaboration between Alejandro and Carroll Shelby. With continuous flow of all surfaces, beautifully bold lines, emphasized powerful wheel arches, low nose and teardrop glasshouse architecture, resulting in perfect proportions. The P72 design language is set to stand the test of time with flawless attention to detail, combined with the most advanced engineering execution.
Unquestionably powerful and sensual from every angle, the P72 truly defines the term ‘Modern-Day Time Machine’. “We intentionally incorporated a distinctive aerodynamically optimized body for performance and to modernize the aesthetics, while the classic wing mirrors and front emblem cap pays homage to the P70.“ – Jowyn Wong, P72 designer and founder of Wyn Design explained.
He continued, “Beneath the surface, the interior showcases an elaborated combination of design and exotic materials. Polished copper and diamond pattern detailing adorn the cabin, fashioning a true sense of drama and occasion. The classically designed switchgear and circular analogue display dials take inspiration from the timeless design themes of the 60s and 70s era.”
Chassis – Bespoke all-carbon fibre chassis
The P72 is based on the state-of-the-art all-carbon chassis from the Apollo IE, featuring the first all-carbon fiber production chassis of its kind, consisting of the monocoque, as well as subframes and crash structures that adhere to respective FIA LMP safety requirements and features a carbon mono-cell. A similar approach to what Alejandro had done with his state-oftheart chassis by sharing it with the Vallelunga, P70 and Mangusta. By conducting a technology transfer from the Apollo IE, the P72 has a tested and proven platform which will ensure the highest level of quality and performance with an accelerated development timeline.
The Limited Run – There will only be 72
The P72 will remain highly exclusive and only 72 cars will be produced. Whilst having a cutting-edge world-class chassis the Project P features a design with perpetual beauty and a proper manual transmission. This is a car for all generations with a forecasted base price for the P72 of approximately 750,000 euro. Pre-registration is well advised should this be of interest.
