Vehicle Description
As a child growing up in Argentina, Alejandro De Tomaso became
infatuated with motor racing, particularly when it came to the
exotic machinery from Italy. Young De Tomaso dreamed of emulating
his hero Juan Manuel Fangio, and at 23 years old, he ran his first
race behind the wheel of a cobbled-together pre-war car - believed
to be an Alfa or Bugatti. By 1957, De Tomaso had married and moved
to Italy with the ambition to be a race car constructor.De Tomaso's
first effort at a road car was the lovely Vallelunga, and after
producing just 50 examples, it was superseded by the Mangusta, a
Ford-powered mid-engine supercar with a Giorgio Giugiaro designed
body and a chassis created by Bizzarrini. Five years later the De
Tomaso Longchamp debuted at the 1972 Turin Motor Show. It was
designed by Tom Tjaarda of Ghia and was influenced by his previous
Lancia Marica prototype. Offered as a two door, 2+2 coupe, it was
developed from the De Tomaso Deauville four-door sedan, using a
shorter-wheelbase chassis with the same suspension, engine, and
transmission. The Longchamp featured a long hood to accommodate a
351 cubic inch Ford Cleveland V-8 engine that produced 330 bhp,
allowing the Longchamp to achieve a top speed of 149 mph.
Suspension was independent front and rear, with coil spring and
wishbones aided by vented four-wheel disc brakes. Designed and
built in the Italian tradition of hand-crafted, luxurious, and
stylish high-speed Grand Touring automobiles, the Longchamp is a
stunning design and a thrill to drive. Perfect for rapid runs from
Zurich to Monte Carlo in comfort and elegance. This fabulous 1974
De Tomaso Longchamp was purchased new directly from the factory in
1974 by a Lebanese businessman and flown to his home in Beirut. It
was used sparingly in Lebanon until its owner and family relocated
to the United States, setting in Illinois. Not wanting to leave
such a special car behind, he arranged for the Longchamp to be
flown to Illinois where it shared a garage with his Rolls-Royce. By
2002, the De Tomaso had been driven very little, however the paint
was showing its age. Subsequently, its owner commissioned a
high-quality, bare metal repaint in the elegant original light
green color it still wears today. In 2010 the family decided to
sell the Longchamp. The current owner acquired the De Tomaso with
less than 14,000 km (8,700 miles) on the odometer. Since then, it
has received careful attention to maintain the car's originality
and mechanical soundness. The odometer currently displays just
24,000 kilometers (roughly 15,000 miles), a testament to its highly
original, superb condition. The Longchamp was designed as a
sophisticated and luxurious Italian high-speed Gran Tourer and the
interior delivers nothing short of that. The soft trim is original,
with items such as the dash, console and door cards remaining in
very good order, with the leather and cloth seats displaying light
patina that adds to the car's well-loved character. The elegant
cockpit features De Tomaso logo Veglia Boretti gauges, a novel
rim-blow horn steering wheel (borrowed from the Ford parts bin),
and of course as a proper 1970's GT car, the requisite AM/FM MPX
8-track stereo. Under the hood Ford's mighty 351 Cleveland V8 is
mated to a C6 Cruise-o-Matic automatic transmission and as with the
interior, the under-hood presentation is highly original and well
detailed.The rare finned Detomaso-branded valve covers are still in
place, and the engine is well detailed and very tidy. The chassis
and undercarriage show some use, appearing to be largely unrestored
though well-kept and in good order. The car has been exhibited
selectively over the ensuing years, including at the Keeneland
Concours d'Elegance in 2015, the Greenwich Concours in 2018 and
most recently the Audrian Newport Concours in 2022. Not only does
the Longchamp have rarity on its side, with only 409 made from 1972
to 1989, it is a genuinely well-built and engineered automobile.
Comparisons to other Euro-American hybrids such as the Jensen
Interceptor or Iso Rivolta are natural, however, the Longchamp
should really be compared to the Ferrari 365 2+2 or Maserati Mexico
in terms of performance, quality and luxury. These incredible cars
rarely come up for sale on the open market and we are thrilled to
offer such a fine and inviting example. Offers welcome and trades
considered For additional details please view this listing directly
on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7637-1974-detomaso-longchamp/
