1968 DeTomaso Vallelunga

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 between 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.

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.

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