RE: De Tomaso Longchamp: You Know You Want To

[Porkie]

rossub said:

Possibly the most comfortable looking seats I've ever seen in a car. Though I cant help but think they'd be better in a home cinema than an Italian Supercar.

agree! I'd love to have a sit in those!

[toppstuff]

Very, very cool.

Overpriced.

New owner should put a ZF or tremec manual box in it. Then it would be splendid and you could keep it forever.

[mat205125]

That is utterly fantastic. Curiosities like this are why I love cars so much. I'd be an utter liability with a lottery purse in my pocket, and would need aircraft hangers to contain all my purchases.

[rubystone]

I saw this car a few months ago at Austin Owen, a prestige car dealer trading out of a hangar at Stapleford Aerodrome in Essex. I have never seen a better one either. It's pretty much perfect inside and out and exues '70s cool. Find another one as good as that....

[myhandle]

mnx42 said:

Many years ago I saw a dark blue one in London.It looked fantastic to my (then) young eyes.
Not so sure now.....but Im now in my late forties and Ive never seen another one.

It's kind of like going back to a place you enjoyed on holiday years ago, it's never as good after so many years ... The two I have seen since did not move me anything like as much - that's age for you!

[4a4]

SO
Much
Want.

[samoht]

Like an Italian Bristol - American V8, luxury coachbuilt body, makes no sense logically, but very cool.

[X5TUU]

Looks to me like a bd child of a Pontiac Firebird and Ford Cortina

Def not De Tomaso's finest styling hour

And ... No I Dont Want To

[J4CKO]

You just know if you buy one it will overheat in traffic, rust, cut out, whiff of fuel/oil/clutch/exahust gasses, generate challenging invoices, get pissed on by modern diesels, do 12 MPG and generally cause you much agro.

But still want.

Was the Deauville based on a Jag, it looks so similar.

[Krikkit]

365daytonafan said:

Looks like the dealer wants rid?

It's in Historics auction this weekend! http://www.historics.co.uk/buying/auctions/2013-03...

Lots of cracking stuff in that auction too. Other highlights are an NSU RO-80, Ford Galaxie with 600+hp from a rare engine, Lotus Cortina, XJ220, and a lovely Mk.2 Jag.

[Lowtimer]

No, sorry, it's an awful-looking thing, as is its close relative the Maserati Kyalami.
Like some sort of kit car made out of left-over Mark 4 Cortina bits.

Vallelunga, Mangusta and Pantera good: Longchamp bad.
Bora, Merak, and Indy good: Kyalami bad.

[Dakkon]

That car has been up for sale for a long time.

[British Beef]

Wow... this Range Rover is incredible and actually remarkable value considering restoration cost, I want this RR much more than the De Tomaso!!!

http://www.historics.co.uk/buying/auctions/2013-03...

[B10]

Your comment that the Deauville influenced the XJ40 is a little misplaced. The Deauville was very much influenced by the 1968 Jaguar.

[Twincam16]

B10 said:

Your comment that the Deauville influenced the XJ40 is a little misplaced. The Deauville was very much influenced by the 1968 Jaguar.

It wasn't. The Ghia styling of the Deauville was actually finalised before the XJ6 S1 was released in 1968, and was itself an evolution of Giugiaro's De Tomaso Mangusta and Tom Tjaarda's 1966 Lancia Marica concept.

I can also assure any detractors that the gearbox in that car is perfectly suited to it and doesn't need ripping out and changing. The torque of the engine (which is a Ford Motorsport Australia-tuned unit) is so instant it pulls hard whenever you put your foot down. You don't even notice the changes, it acts like one massive variable ratio. Putting a ZF or a Tremec in would turn it into a jerky, awkward jack-of-all-trades when it is already one of the best GTs of its era - far superior to the contemporary Aston Martin V8, in fact.

[Richair]

I'm not normally a fan of De Tomaso's, but this thing is cooler than a polar bears nads. Yes, I do want to!

[Jimmy T]

Never heard of it either. I thought I was a pistonhead...must go back to studying my old car books from the 80's...

[Pothole]

I actually won the Euromillions on Tuesday. Well, won on I should say. As it was only £9.30 I shall sadly not be bidding on this gorgeous lump. I doubt it'll make much more than 15 grand though.

[JohnGoodridge]

Jimmy T said:

Never heard of it either. I thought I was a pistonhead...must go back to studying my old car books from the 80's...

LOL! Fond memories of the Longchamp from my well thumbed Observer's book of cars (circa late 70's, early 80's)

[chazwozza]

Oh my, that is cool. I'm going to walk around for an hour now with my chest hair exposed.