The saga of De Tomaso seems to have turned another page as the rights to the Italian automaker have reportedly been acquired by a Swiss investment group.
According to reports coming in from Europe, Switzerland's L3 Holdings won out over rival bids from Italy's Eos Group and China's Consolidated Ideal TeamVenture with a bid of 2 million euros – equivalent to $2.16 million at today's rates. The new owners are tipped to hire some 360 new employees and open an new manufacturing plant in Turin that will build a new mid-engined sports car.
For those unfamiliar, the company was founded in Modena, Italy, by Argentina-born Alejandro De Tomaso back in 1959. It produced such notable sports cars as the Vallelunga, Mangusta and Pantera, and even controlled Maserati and motorcycle manufacturer Moto Guzzi, but after trailing off over the course of the following decades, finally went bust in 2004.
Former Fiat exec Gian Mario Rossignolo bought the rights to the name in 2009. But after presenting the Deauville crossover concept in 2011, De Tomaso went bust again. The rights were subsequently picked up by the revived Automobili Turismo e Sport, but a protracted ownership dispute meant the project never got back off the ground.
L3 Holdings is reportedly closely tied with Genii Capital, the Luxembourg-based venture capital firm that runs the Lotus F1 team and was in contention to take over Saab back in 2010.
According to reports coming in from Europe, Switzerland's L3 Holdings won out over rival bids from Italy's Eos Group and China's Consolidated Ideal TeamVenture with a bid of 2 million euros – equivalent to $2.16 million at today's rates. The new owners are tipped to hire some 360 new employees and open an new manufacturing plant in Turin that will build a new mid-engined sports car.
For those unfamiliar, the company was founded in Modena, Italy, by Argentina-born Alejandro De Tomaso back in 1959. It produced such notable sports cars as the Vallelunga, Mangusta and Pantera, and even controlled Maserati and motorcycle manufacturer Moto Guzzi, but after trailing off over the course of the following decades, finally went bust in 2004.
Former Fiat exec Gian Mario Rossignolo bought the rights to the name in 2009. But after presenting the Deauville crossover concept in 2011, De Tomaso went bust again. The rights were subsequently picked up by the revived Automobili Turismo e Sport, but a protracted ownership dispute meant the project never got back off the ground.
L3 Holdings is reportedly closely tied with Genii Capital, the Luxembourg-based venture capital firm that runs the Lotus F1 team and was in contention to take over Saab back in 2010.
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