DeTomaso I have never seen in person until now

[vamach1]

Sorry for upside pic.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Yeah, the Vallelunga is a neat little car. It's got an English Ford 1600cc pushrod 4-cylinder, a 5-speed gearbox based on an upside-down-and-backwards VW case with Hewland guts, a steel backbone chassis that's kinda Lotus-like, and a fiberglass body. And it is small, only about as big as a Lotus Europa. Driving one is like a slightly heavier Formula Ford race car, with two seats and a roof.   

It was, of course, the DeTomaso immediately before the Mangusta.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Tomaso_Vallelunga

Edited October 15, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[Vietnam Vet67]

How many remember the  De Tomaso Dodge 024 Omni for 1980???????

 

[aurfalien]

Hi,

Wow, I get nice flash backs of a simpler time;

The Bee Gees

Paul Anka

Hee Haw

Star Wars

[Bernard Kron]

The Vallellunga was part of series of designs Allesandro DeTomaso did in the early to mid -60's, quite obviously in response to Colin Chapman and his radical work in simplified, ultra-light sports and racing cars. The Vallelunga from 1964 had a pressed steel backbone chassis which was a close cousin of Chapman's design for the Lotus Elan, from 1962. However, the Vallelunga was rear-engined so De Tomaso resorted to a tubular sub frame at the rear to locate the Ford Kent 4-cylinder 1500 cc motor and rear suspension. The car used a VW-Hewland gearbox. It is considered the precursor to the 5 liter Ford powered Mangusta, which in turn was the basis for the most successful and longest enduring De Tomaso, the Pantera. During these years DeTomaso produced several radical designs  exploring variations on the central-spine monocoque concept including a cylindrical, cast monocoque chassis for small formula and sports cars. Later in the 60's De Tomaso employed Gianpallo Dallara, already a rising star in the racing car firmament, having done work for Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini. Dallara would pen several somewhat more conventional formula and sport racing designs for De Tomaso during the late 60's and early 70's before establishing the now world famous company bearing his name. It is currently the largest producer of racing cars in the world and makes chassis and complete cars for the majority of the single spec racing series on the planet.

Edited October 16, 2017 by Bernard Kron

[gtx6970]

Thats a pretty neat looking little car. I would  drive it

[aurfalien]

Thats a pretty neat looking little car. I would  drive it

Hi,

Well here is the kit that you can build;

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MPC-Dodge-Omni-024-1-25-Scale-Model-Kit-MISB-Sealed-1979-See-My-Store-/371819753819?hash=item56922f315b:g:OLoAAOSw6DtYWcfS

I remember the car as Omni was my favorite magazine back then.

The lines on the following car are very similar so I think they renamed it;

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MPC-1982-Dodge-Turbo-2-2-Charger-MODEL-CAR-MOUNTAIN-1-25-FS-0836-2n1-RED-/382193584167?epid=1378347364&hash=item58fc834827:g:g4AAAOSw-iNZj1Te

 

Edited October 16, 2017 by aurfalien

[Ace-Garageguy]

How many remember the  De Tomaso Dodge 024 Omni for 1980???????

[aurfalien]

Hi,

True dat.

It was an odd time for our American car companies in redesigning smaller, more compact cars.  Even the Stang took a hit and didn't look all that good.

My mom had a Mercury Comet, boy what a POS!!!  Her beloved VW Bug which ran flawless burnt up in a garage fire and so she got that thing.  Embarrassing.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Hi,

True dat.

It was an odd time for our American car companies in redesigning smaller, more compact cars.  Even the Stang took a hit and didn't look all that good.

My mom had a Mercury Comet, boy what a POS!!!  Her beloved VW Bug which ran flawless burnt up in a garage fire and so she got that thing.  Embarrassing.

The "DeTomaso" version of the little Chrysler L platform had as much in common with a real DeTomaso as I do. The wheels and trim were upgraded, but the drivetrain was completely standard.

The Omni / Horizon wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great...and it sure wouldn't go, stop or handle like a Vallelunga.

[cobraman]

Yeah, the Vallelunga is a neat little car. It's got an English Ford 1600cc pushrod 4-cylinder, a 5-speed gearbox based on an upside-down-and-backwards VW case with Hewland guts, a steel backbone chassis that's kinda Lotus-like, and a fiberglass body. And it is small, only about as big as a Lotus Europa. Driving one is like a slightly heavier Formula Ford race car, with two seats and a roof.   

It was, of course, the DeTomaso immediately before the Mangusta.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Tomaso_Vallelunga

When I saw this pic I thought Dino for some reason. Front end ?