De Tomaso Automobili to Embark on a Journey to America, Creating & Inspiring a Modern-Day American Automotive Renaissance

MODENA, Italy, Oct. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Dear friends,

In these difficult times, we truly hope that you and your loved ones have been keeping well. Our recent silence has had a purpose. An essential period to focus on one's health, safety and family. A moment to reflect on our past, present and the beauty that lies ahead. Although our marketing took a pause, our P72 development programme has continued as planned. We have also been working diligently on something new and quite special.  But, perhaps not what you expected.

A Clarion Call

From the P70 to the Pantera, our brand's history is defined by boldly shirking convention. Taking our cue and our inspiration from Alejandro de Tomaso himself, we are charting our own course for the future while paving the way for the next generation. Upon the launch of the P72 last year, we promised to tell the untold story of De Tomaso's history as well as properly revive the legendary brand in a sustainable manner. For the next chapter of our journey we are embarking on a new mission ? Mission AAR.

Today, we are pleased to quell the mystery shrouding our Mission AAR campaign.

Mission AAR is a long-term, multi-stage, strategic initiative to return America's automobile industry to its glory days of automotive design and preeminence. And it begins with our first step, which we are proudly taking today.

De Tomaso will move its core operations to the U.S., setting our sights on igniting a new golden era of American automotive design and excellence as well as creating opportunity, cultivating talent and fostering bold collaboration.

"Our automotive endeavors are rooted in history ? that of our company and of those who inspire us. We draw inspiration from the 'golden-era' of American Automotive Design in the 1920-60s and our decades-long use of American powertrains. As we seek to shape the next chapter of our iconic brand, we will honor our history. We are doubling down on our inspiration to create the next great European-American icons right here in the U.S. This is true to our legacy and reflects our desire to forge a pathway for the next generation of American automotive greats while also helping strengthen American skills in automotive design and craftsmanship." ? Norman Choi, Chairman - De Tomaso Automobili.

"De Tomaso has always been a unique Italian-Argentine-American automotive brand known for iconic design and bold initiatives while inspiring innovation. Our love of automotive history and of the glory days of American automotive design and provenance is what drives us to take on this effort and make it our mission. Why is it that the majority of luxury, designer goods that Americans and the world strive to own, come from Europe? Why not America? People often talk about the offshoring of American jobs, but no one talks about the offshoring of American dreams and desires, which has led to many Americans aspiring to one day own a European vehicle. Building our P72 in America is the next great step in our history and one we are eager to undertake. We will reignite the romance, beauty, passion and elegance of luxury American automobiles. Our mission is clear ? we will carry our legacy forward here in America and by doing so, create opportunity, cultivate talent and inspire collaboration. We believe that if we come together and work toward making a lasting impact on our industry and our world, anything is possible." ? Ryan Berris, CEO/CMO - De Tomaso Automobili.

Our Roots Meet Our Future
De Tomaso ? A European-American Brand

De Tomaso's history is marked by collaboration with American automobile legends such as Lee Iacocca, Carroll Shelby, Peter Brock and Tom Tjaarda. De Tomaso's bold endeavor marks the next chapter of the company's journey and sets the foundation for a historic and inspiring revival. De Tomaso will be a "purpose-driven" automotive pioneer acting in a way that retains the company's heritage as a daring world-class automotive icon and as a disruptor of the status quo.

Mission AAR's First Phase is the relocation of De Tomaso's core operations to the United States, including the production of its iconic P72 sports car, which pays homage to the company's P70 racing car. The iconic P72, first introduced in July 2019 and oversubscribed shortly thereafter, will be hand-built in America. The P72 is a true European-American icon from its provenance, design, engineering, powertrain, supply base and technical partners.

De Tomaso has deep roots in the American automotive landscape, with Ford-derived powertrains at the heart of almost every De Tomaso model since its founding in 1959. Recalling the global race to the top inspired by this era of design and excellence, De Tomaso will once again create automobiles in the U.S. that offer compelling design and quality and seek to lead the world with captivating engineering and technical achievement.

Our Future Initiative
Mission AAR - American Automotive Renaissance

The First Phase
Our Mission AAR initiative is part of a long-term, strategic plan to be unveiled in different phases. In the First Phase, De Tomaso will move its core production, design and corporate facilities to the U.S.

Discussions are already well underway with multiple states to serve as potential locations for our American facilities. A formal announcement about these locations is expected in the next six months. De Tomaso's P72 development programme is progressing as planned as part of the homologation process that is expected to lead to the start of production in America during the fourth quarter of 2022.  Further details will follow in a subsequent release.

We don't come to this decision lightly. Driven by the void we've seen over the past several decades, powered by our passion and what we see as our responsibility, this notion has been under consideration and part of our long-term plan for quite some time. De Tomaso has always been known as a bold European-American brand and this marks the next chapter of our historic journey.

As demonstrated by Mission AAR and our modus operandi, De Tomaso has never ? and will never ? occupy the status quo. De Tomaso seeks to shake complacency and spark a new pursuit of excellence. Our brand is embarking upon an ambitious, historic journey that we shall share with our beloved owners, enthusiasts and supporters.

Collaboration & Cultivation
De Tomaso seeks to partner with our bold-thinking peers in America as we have for decades. We have long-respected the American greats; the accomplishments of pioneers such as Elon Musk and Tesla have been simply exceptional. In our relentless pursuit of excellence and with our sights set on an American Automotive Renaissance, De Tomaso will seek to collaborate with other major American automotive manufacturers and suppliers to define the superior in automotive excellence, while renewing unparalleled pride in America's automotive ingenuity.

As our brand is focused on the high-end, luxury segment and not in competition with American brands, we view our skillset and offerings as complementary. As part of Mission AAR, we will retain focus on our core competencies, which lie in romantic designs with world-class engineering, hand-built by skilled artisans.

Part of Mission AAR will also be to create opportunity for American workers and the next generation of American automotive greats. The company aims to help reduce the skills gap in American automotive design and craftsmanship and design.

Our Lodestar
Our mission is to bring back the romance, passion and elegance of the luxury American automotive industry with our European sophistication and artisan processes. We will instill and inspire innovation and pride in one's work, creating timeless art-forms exuding individuality.

About De Tomaso
Founded in 1959 by racer and visionary Alejandro de Tomaso, De Tomaso Automobili is an iconic European-American brand with a rich history, bold reputation and treasured European sophistication and luxury. Often known for its most successful model, the Pantera (1970-1993) and its decades-long partnership with Ford, the company's deep roots in the American automotive landscape also include collaborations with automotive legends and visionaries such as Lee Iacocca, Carroll Shelby, Peter Brock and Tom Tjaarda.  De Tomaso known also as an M&A specialist whereby in the 1960-1970s it acquired names such as Ghia, Vignale, Innocenti, Moto Guzzi, Benelli and owned Maserati from 1975-1993. In 2014, Ideal Team Ventures (ITV), widely known for its rebirth of Apollo Automobil, acquired the rights to De Tomaso, leading to the company's introduction in 2019 of the coveted P72, which pays homage to De Tomaso's P70 racing car in a tribute to the brands 60th anniversary. In October 2020, De Tomaso announced Phase 1 of its Mission American Automotive Renaissance (Mission AAR), which includes moving its core operations from Europe to America, where production of the P72 is slated to begin in late 2022. De Tomaso is deeply committed to returning America's automotive industry to its 'golden era' of automotive design and to the treasured respect it earned in the 1920s to 1960s, while creating opportunity, cultivating talent and forging a pathway for the next generation of American automotive greats. For more information, please visit https://detomaso-automobili.com

Notes to Editors
A series of creative assets co-created in collaboration with the Automobilist accompanying this release are available to download from the De Tomaso Automobili press site: www.detomaso-automobili.com/press/ 

Enquiries
Email: [email protected]

Press
Press site: www.detomaso-automobili.com/press 
Website: www.detomaso-automobili.com 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/detomaso.official/ 
Instagram: www.instagram.com/detomaso_official 
Twitter: www.twitter.com/_DeTomaso

SOURCE De Tomaso