[DeTomaso] VIN tag geekery

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/2/13 13 03 28, charlesmccall at gmail.com writes:


> ^^^Question - who decides the format of the manufacturer's tag? The
> manufacturer or the distributor? (DeTomaso or Ford)?
> 
> I find it curious that Ford could affect the tag installed at the factory,
> although I guess the proof is there. I can totally understand if the ads 
> and
> marketing machine boycotted DeTomaso after the divorce, but I am surprised
> that they can dictate VIN plate format.
> 

>>>Remember, in late 1972, Ford bought De Tomaso (and Ghia, and Vignale) 
and owned them outright.   Alejandro De Tomaso was out on his ass, and formed 
a new company to distribute the products made by the company he formerly 
owned.

Once Ford owned De Tomaso (the manufacturing company), they no longer felt 
compelled to highlight the De Tomaso connection.   If you look at a 
US-market GTS there are NO De Tomaso logos anywhere on the car!   They even have 
different speedo/tach faces with no logos on them!   And if you look at the 
sales literature, it's "Pantera by Ghia" where formerly it was "Pantera by De 
Tomaso".

Then, in 1974, when it all fell apart, Ford sold the De Tomaso car 
manufacturing company back to the De Tomaso car distributing company (i.e. 
Alejandro), for pennies on the dollar.   Cars made by this post-Ford outfit had no 
build tags in the doorjamb at all.

Mike