[DeTomaso] De Tomaso Vallelunga

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/9/12 12 05 6, dnunn at telus.net writes:


> Jim,
> 
> You found two Vallelunga spyders in British Columbia ! ! !
> 
> I'd love to get in touch with the owner(s), if you could give me their
> contact info.
> 
> Thanks.
> 

>>>It's Fred Phillips, in Calgary, who also owns the Mangusta Spyder 
prototype.   He doesn't actually own the one-and-only Vallelunga Spyder.   
Instead, he owns a pair of one-off De Tomaso prototypes, built at different times, 
but both using Vallelunga chassis.   

One is the BRM Sport 1000, powered by a one-liter four-cylinder BRM engine. 
  The other is the Ghia Competizione Sport 2000, which was a beautiful 
Guigiaro design, supposed to be powered by a two-liter Flat-8 De Tomaso engine.  
 However, the engine wasn't ready when the car was ready to be shown, so 
instead it just got a normal Vallelunga drivetrain, and the car was displayed 
on the car show circuit without revealing the engine!

The accompanying information displays spoke at length about the wonderful 
2-liter flat-8 that was supposedly powering the car--smoke and mirrors....:>)

BTW Fred is in New York right now; he just took delivery of the '74 Pantera 
that only had 786 (!) original miles on it.   He told me yesterday that in 
all his years of being around cars, this is the best-preserved, 
most-original 'original' car, of any type, that he has ever seen.   He owned a 2000-mile 
'65 Mustang GT a few years ago, and he says this Pantera blows it away....

Fred and Nancy will be coming to the Fun Rally.   I'd like him to bring a 
De Tomaso, but he's going to be participating in the Copperstate 1000 prior 
to the rally, and his vehicle of choice will probably be a very scruffy, 
unrestored and thoroughly delightful Bizzarrini 5300 GT America.   Ah well!

Mike