Alejandro De Tomaso of Argentina raced in his native country during the early 1950s prior to moving to Italy to drive for Maserati and OSCA. Later, he formed his own company using his surname. The De Tomaso Automobili Company was formed in 1959 and based in Modena, Italy. Their early cars were built to contest Formula Junior, Formula 3, Formula 2 and Formula 1. The company's first road car was the Valleluna which did not appear until 1965. It had a mid-engine layout, a short wheelbase, and a coupe body. Power was from a 1.5-liter Ford Kent four-cylinder engine offering just over 100 horsepower and mated to a four-speed Hewland transaxle. The suspension was comprised of an all-round independent setup by means of coil springs and wishbones. Other mechanical features included four-wheel disc brakes and a rack-and-pinion steering system. The production glassfibre coupe bodywork was styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro and constructed by Carrozzeria Ghia.The Vallelunga prototypes wore styling and construction by Carrozzeria Fissore. These prototypes consisted of an alloy-bodied spider and a few closed coupes which first appeared around 1963 and 1964. Differences from the prototype and production examples were many, with one of the more noticeable changes being the rear section of the car. The prototypes had a hinged rear body section while the production models had a glass hatch.The name 'Vallelunga' was chosen after the Italian circuit where DeTomas had raced with some success.
During the production lifespan of the Vallelunga, which lasted until the late 1960s, a total of 53 examples (estimated) were built.
By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2017
DeTomaso had hoped the Vallelunga prototypes would inspire interest from a major motor manufacturer that would take on the project. When no one agreed to take over production, he decided to produce them himself. Carrozzeria Ghia was sourced for completing the production - a company that DeTomaso would later acquire.
By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2017
When the president of the Swiss De Tomaso Owners' Club purchased this Vallelunga in 1993, it had just 22,000 km on its odometer. A high-quality concours restoration soon followed and would consume 2,000 man hours to complete. After the work was completed, it was shown at Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in 2004 where it earned a Second in Class. Currently, this coupe has an uprated, 1499cc SOHC inline 4-cylinder engine fitted with Dual Twin-Choke 40 DCOE Weber Carburetors and offers 125 horsepower.
By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2017
By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2017
Related Reading : DeTomaso Vallelunga History
The DeTomaso was introduced in the early 1960s and produced until 1968. It was an exotic, mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car that was based on a roadster designed by Carrozzeria Fissore. It was named after the Autodromo di Vallelunga first shown as a concept car at the Turin Motor Show in 1964. DeTomaso planned to sell the design of the concept to another automaker but an interested party could....
Continue Reading >>
Continue Reading >>
1968 DeTomaso Vallelunga Vehicle Profiles
Recent Vehicle Additions
Performance and Specification Comparison
Vallelunga Specification Comparison by Year
Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
90.95 in.
Related Automotive News
First Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa Revival Hits the Road
The reborn Bizzarrini brand, founded by arguably the most talented automotive engineer and designer the world has ever seen, has achieved its next significant milestone. The first Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa Revival prototype – the authentic recreation...
Lamborghini Celebrates The 50Th Anniversary Of The Jarama GT
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Lamborghini Jarama GT, presented for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1970.
The Jarama, whose name derives from an area north of Madrid famous for breeding fighting bulls, was the latest evolution...
The Highly Desirable 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Roars Its Way To The Pebble Beach Auctions Presented By Gooding & Company
One of only 12 ever built, this unrivaled offering is the ultimate evolution of the single-cam Ferrari Berlinetta, and its auction debut will headline The Pebble Beach Auctions this August
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (July 20, 2017) – Gooding...
Infiniti Motor Company To Show Prince R380 At 2017 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance
The Prince R380, one of the first purpose-built Japanese race cars, won the Japanese Grand Prix in 1966
The Historically significant race car will make its North American public debut at the 2017 Amelia Island Concours dElegance
Prince Motor C...
BMWUSA CLASSIC TO RUN SEVEN CLASSIC RACE CARS IN CENTENARY CELEBRATION AT THE ROLEX MONTEREY MOTORSPORTS REUNION 2016
Woodcliff Lake, N.J. – August 9, 2016…BMW USA Classic will run seven historic race cars at the 2016 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion on August 18-21 in Monterey, California. BMW is the featured marquee at the Rolex Reunion and the brand will...