Unique ONES After successfully producing the
De Tomaso Vallelunga exclusively in 1964, it seems that it did not automatically make the Modena-based car manufacturer stop here, the company continues to work to develop the sportscar further. Even more, the Italian company is interested in getting involved deeply into the world of racing, which by chance at that time was excited by the emergence of a number of advanced engineered racing cars carried out by many major and minor automotive manufacturers and privateers.
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| 1966 De Tomaso Sports 1000 Ghia Spyder aka Competizione 2000 race concept car built based of the De Tomaso Vallelunga. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/37BBMpp) |
That is what made the Alejandro De Tomaso owned car manufacturer want to develop a spyder-styled race car model based on its Vallelunga sportscar which was initially called the Sports 1000 and is designed to run the Ford engines of between one and two-litres under the hood. To realized its plans, the Modena-based company made contacts and signed collaborations with several well-known Italian coachbuilders at that time such as Ghia and Fantuzzi to build a racing concept car as mentioned above.
1. Ghia-bodied race concept car
The first Ghia-made racing concept car model for De Tomaso was completed in December 1965, initially called as the
De Tomaso Sport 1000 Ghia Spyder (chassis 2022) and made its debut at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show, and won the "The Best Car Design" award, due to it
looks really good even today. This can be seen in the roadster's low, open body has the large wheel arches. Its bodywork harmony is not compromised by the bulky headlights, as is the custom of today's designers, and is placed right beside the front grille.
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| 1966 De Tomaso Sports 1000 Ghia Spyder aka Competizione 2000 has the large wheel arches not compromised by the bulky headlights, and is placed right beside the front grille. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/37zktoO) |
The concept car was originally powered by a 1.6 litre four cylinder Ford 120E engine or known as a tuned version of the 104 hp powerplant used in the De Tomaso Vallelunga coupled with the 4-speed manual transmission system built inside a Volkswagen's case with Colotti's gear sets. While the legs, it uses 13-inches wheels equipped with double wishbone and coil springs at all four corners, with uprights sourced from the Triumph suspension.
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1966 De Tomaso Sports 1000 Ghia Spyder's cockpit featured by basic flat top dash housed an array of instrumentation and a standard wood-rimmed Vallelunga steering with 2 bucket seats. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3kljH4l)
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The cockpit was suitably bereft of any superfluous equipment. Two bucket seats were trimmed in black vinyl but there was no other upholstery to speak of. The basic flat top dash housed an array of instrumentation and a standard wood-rimmed Vallelunga steering wheel was employed. For marketing reasons, De Tomaso always said that the car was equipped with a Flat 8 cylinder 2-litre De Tomaso engine and changed the wheels to 15-inches size then called it as the
De Tomaso Competizione 2000.
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| 1966 De Tomaso Sports 1000 Ghia Spyder aka Competizione 2000 originally powered by a 1.6 litre four cylinder Ford 120E engine, but for marketing reason later, De Tomaso said the car uses a Flat 8 cylinder 2-litre its owned engine. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/37zktoO) |
After its appearance at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show, De Tomaso retained the Competizione 2000 until 2004. At this point the firm went into liquidation and chassis 2002 was sold to an Italian collector and underwent a comprehensive restoration.
2. Fantuzzi-bodied race concept car
The second model, the Fantuzzi-bodied Sport 1000/66 (chassis VL 1609) called
De Tomaso Sports 1000 BRM Fantuzzi Spyder and fitted in 1966, it features one of only handful of survivors of the 15 BRM P80 engines built for shown off at the Turin Auto Show 1966 event, but unveiled two weeks earlier.
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| 1966 De Tomaso Sports 1000 BRM Fantuzzi Spyder was on action at the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/3saUFaH) |
As mentioned above, the roadster is modified by the factory to use a 998cc BRM Formula 2 engine (129bhp at 9,750rpm) and ancillaries, new engine subframe, straight through exhaust, fuel tank, wider three-spoke De Tomaso Formula 3 wheels by Campagnolo, smaller diameter steering wheel and front-mounted header tank.
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| 1966 De Tomaso Sports 1000 BRM Fantuzzi Spyder powered by a 998cc BRM Formula 2 engine. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2ZyrzG1) |
The rear bodywork was modified with flared fenders and an opening for the exhaust pipe on the tail facia. The rear deck had cut outs for the trumpets, a filler cap and heat exchanger for the electrical system.
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| 1966 De Tomaso Sports 1000 BRM Fantuzzi Spyder after finished a comprehensive restoration done by Motorvation, an UK's automotove workshop before attended for the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/3qLe8hG) |
Uniquely, even though the car is designed as a racing car, in reality it has never been used for racing in any circuits. The spyder-styled race concept car was kept at the factory until the clearance sale which took place in 2004 when it was sold to an English collector who sold it again to his compatriot collector in 2007.
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| 1966 De Tomaso Sports 1000 BRM Fantuzzi Spyder's rear bodywork was modified with flared fenders and an opening for the exhaust pipe on the tail facia. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2ZyrzG1) |
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That is what made the Alejandro De Tomaso owned car manufacturer want to develop a spyder-styled race car model based on its Vallelunga sportscar which was initially called the Sports 1000 and is designed to run the Ford engines of between one and two-litres under the hood. To realized its plans, the Modena-based company made contacts and signed collaborations with several well-known Italian coachbuilders at that time such as Ghia and Fantuzzi to build a racing concept car as mentioned above.
The first Ghia-made racing concept car model for De Tomaso was completed in December 1965, initially called as the De Tomaso Sport 1000 Ghia Spyder (chassis 2022) and made its debut at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show, and won the "The Best Car Design" award, due to it looks really good even today. This can be seen in the roadster's low, open body has the large wheel arches. Its bodywork harmony is not compromised by the bulky headlights, as is the custom of today's designers, and is placed right beside the front grille.
