www.QV500.com - De Tomaso Sport 1000 Arrives from Italy

 

Two weeks after closing the deal on De Tomaso's unique Fantuzzi-bodied Sport 1000, chassis VL 1609 arrived in Bournemouth. Because most of Italy, including the De Tomaso factory, shuts down for the month of August, VL 1609 had to be stored at a seperate warehouse in Modena until Polygon Transport could get a truck out to retrieve it. No sooner had it hit UK shores and Pantera International Director, Dave Adler, requested an interview to find out more. This article later appeared in the Spring 2005 edition.

   

P.I. Did you know about the early De Tomaso cars when you found this car?

Tyer: A little. I found all the De Tomaso books full of conflicting information so read as much as I could from period Italian magazines like Auto Italiana and Autosprint.

P.I. When you visited the factory did you ever expect them to be having a sale?

Tyer: Yes, that was the reason I went out. News of the firm's liquidation arrived via the DTDC newsletter and I was on the next plane out to Bologna having confirmed with Claudia Lodi that all the cars were for sale (although she did say that prices could only be discussed in person - so it was still a bit of a gamble). The original plan was to buy the sole remaining 505 F1 car from 1970, but when I arrived, Santiago De Tomaso informed me it was only being sold as part of a collection of eight cars and four experimental engines. Everything else was being sold separately and several cars had already found new owners including the 70P and Ghia Competizione.
 

P.I. Why do you think the factory was willing to split this car from the collection?

Tyer: Pass. When you consider the 22 or so cars that were owned by the factory up until spring 2004, the eight they chose to keep together seems a rather bizarre representation of the marque. There's no doubt that all are very special, but disposing of extremely important machines like the 70P, Ghia Competizione and the prototype Guara Barchetta just doesn't make sense to me.

   

P.I. Were Santiago and Mrs. De Tomaso interested in your zeal for the car?

Tyer: Unfortunately I didn't get to meet Mrs De Tomaso but Santiago was very interested in the 1969 Formula 2 car we also own and looked through the history file at length. He recounted stories of it and the men who'd worked on the project and also found two spare magnesium bulkheads for it in the storeroom.

P.I. Why do you think they sold the collection?

Tyer: Pass. The De Tomaso family are certainly quite wealthy and it seems strange that they didn't see fit to turn the factory into a service/restoration centre with a facility for manufacturing parts and a museum. Santiago's passion seems to be with model steam locomotives while Mrs De Tomaso is advancing in years and I'm sure no-one would begrudge her a quiet retirement.

 
P.I. Chronologically did your car come before the Vallelunga, or was it built after the road cars had already been built?

Tyer: It was built in February 1966. Ghia-bodied Vallelunga Berlinetta's were made from 1964 to '68 so this car was more or less mid way through production (time-wise at least).

P.I. So this is not the Vallelunga Spyder that raced at Vallelunga?
   

Tyer: No. That car was the chubby looking Fissore-bodied Spyder from 1963 – the first Vallelunga built. It too was retained by the factory and is part of the eight-car collection to be sold together.

P.I. Is the frame beefed up from a Vallelunga - we heard a Vallelunga frame is awfully flexible.

Tyer: As far as I can tell, the rolling chassis is a stock Vallelunga spine frame with rose-jointed suspension from De Tomaso's F3 single seater. However, because of the BRM engine, the factory did make some modifications to the rear framework.

P.I. Does your car have a chassis plate?

Tyer: Yes, it reads:

VETTURA TIPO SPORT
TELAIO No. VL 1609
MOTORE No. BRM 8011
 
P.I. Do you think it was run with a Ford engine at first?

Tyer: No. When displayed at the inaugural Turin Racing Car Show in February 1966, I don't believe it had an engine and haven't yet seen any evidence to suggest otherwise. Contemporary reports stated that De Tomaso's intention was for the car to be made with a choice of Ford units ranging in size from 1 to 2-litres, this too would suggest it was not a runner at the show. The fact that the unaltered chassis plate reads
   

MOTORE No. BRM 8011 also indicates it has only ever been fitted with its current unit.

P.I. So the engine in it is the same one that it's had since new?

Tyer: Yes. It is a 998cc BRM in-line four designed originally for Formula 2 racing - essentially half a Type P56 V8 used in P578 1.5-litre Grand Prix contenders (albeit with slightly different block dimensions). It has a P56 cylinder head, cylinder section, block and crankcase casting plus EN28 forged connecting rods machined and polished all over. Compression was set at 12.5:1, Lucas supplying the fuel injection system, OPUS ignition and alternator. It weighed just 81.7kg (complete with starter), 20lbs lighter than Cosworth's rival unit. Developing 129bhp at 9750rpm, it was laid out to be installed at an angle of 18° and designed to be mated to a variety of different gearboxes, most of which in Formula 2 were five-speed units. Consequently, valve timing got reduced to 120° (compared to 150° for six-speed applications), providing power over a wider speed band than the Formula 1 unit.

P.I. Do you think De Tomaso hoped Ford would back it and changed engines when they wouldn't?
 
Tyer: Whether De Tomaso actually thought he could wrangle some official Ford backing for this car seems unlikely to me. Rather, I would guess it was all part of De Tomaso's policy of producing as many new cars as he could to demonstrate his little firms versatility. Once a car had come to fruition, he typically lost interest and that I think is the story here. There is no doubt though that he was wooing the attention of Ford at the time so it made sense to opt for their engines originally. But exactly why this car came to be fitted with the BRM unit is currently a mystery.
   

P.I. Has Hewland admitted to working on the gearbox?

Tyer: I don't think Hewland actually did any work on the car as such, like all Vallelunga's, this car used a Volkswagen transmission with Hewland gears, all the componentry for which was pretty much available off the shelf in 1966. It uses the rare five-speed transmission, the majority of Vallelunga's having had four-speed units.

P.I. How was the car modified by the factory after the 1966 Turin show?

Tyer: BRM engine and ancillaries, new engine subframe, straight through exhaust, fuel tank, wider three-spoke F3 wheels, different steering wheel and front-mounted header tank. 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. This all could have been done as late as 1967. It remains in this configuration today – totally unaltered.

P.I. Was Giugiaro involved in the design or did Fantuzzi just downscale the 70P?

Tyer: As far as I am aware, Giugiaro had nothing to do with this car. Medoardo Fantuzzi's little firm were responsible for creating the bodywork and it clearly shows several 70P influences such as the distinctive engine cooling scoops and adjustable rear wing.
 

P.I. Is the spoiler adjustable from inside the car by the driver?

Tyer: No, the rear aerofoil can be adjusted through four different angles but these have to be pre-set.

P.I. Why are the gauges missing? Were they Veglia's?

Tyer: I assume that the gauges were removed at some point to be used in another car but don't

   

know what type they would've been. I doubt stock Vallelunga instruments would have worked with the BRM engines special characteristics. Thankfully, everything else remained intact and the car was stored sensibly.

P.I. Were any famous drivers associated with it?

Tyer: I'm still researching the racing history of this car but it didn't compete in any major events as far as I am aware. However, I do still have several avenues to explore but n o evidence of any seatbelts could well suggest it remained un-tested in competition. Weighing in at just 570kg and with 226bhp per ton, it would almost certainly have been a competitive machine and was reputedly capable of 0-60 in less than six seconds and a top speed of 140mph.

P.I. Did you get any historical pictures?

Tyer: We have photos from the Turin show and various others taken at the factory between 1966 and the mid 1970's.
 
P.I. What are your long-term plans for the car?

Tyer: There are no plans to refurbish it yet as restoration work is still ongoing with the 1969 103 Formula 2. Even though it's currently a non-runner, given the amazingly original appearance, it would be nice to display the car, either at DTDC shows, Goodwood Road Racing Club days or maybe even some of the Italian car festivals held during the summer. It certainly stands out next to the mostly pristine machines you see and generates a great deal of attention.
   
Note: VL 1609 was sold to a UK collector in June 2007.