Richard Yarrow’s opinion for www.startrescue.co.uk, providing low cost Breakdown Cover.
Fascinating to see that next month’s Geneva Motor Show will mark the return of a famous name from the past. De Tomaso was a low-volume manufacturer of sports cars and is most famous for the stunning Pantera. Disappointingly, I can’t find a copyright-free image of one to illustrate this article, but five seconds online will show you what a great-looking muscle car it was. Instead you’ve got to make do with an iffy teaser shot of the new SLC (above). More on that later.
The Pantera was sold through Lincoln and Mercury dealerships in America, and looked set to take De Tomaso in the big time with the likes of Ferrari. The links between the two companies run deep, as De Tomaso was also based in Modena, Italy. It was set up in 1959 by Alejandro de Tomaso, an Argentinian, and was at one time the parent company of Maserati – now, like Ferrari, part of the Fiat Group.
But there were two problems with the Pantera. The first was timing; the oil crisis of the Seventies meant gas-guzzling monsters were quickly shunned by buyers. Secondly, the poor build quality was legendary. You know the famous story about Elvis Presley shooting a gun at his car when it wouldn’t start? Guess what the car was.
De Tomaso limped along with tiny sales until 2004 when it went bust.
But the rights to the brand were bought by businessman Gian Mario Rossignolo in 2009 and Geneva will mark the launch of his first new product, the SLC luxury sports saloon. The business plan is reported to rely on sales of 8,000 cars a year, including this model, a crossover SUV and a two-seater. Exciting times. I wish him well.
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