De Tomaso X HWA
Founded in 1959 by Argentine racing driver Alejandro De Tomaso, the De Tomaso company was built on a simple yet powerful idea: to create high-performance sports cars that combined the romance of Italian styling with precision engineering. From the very beginning, De Tomaso was determined to make his mark on the automotive world, and he did so with remarkable success.
In 2019, the P72 made its global debut. A romantic homage to the iconic sports cars of the 1960s and 70s - most notably the De Tomaso P70.
To this day, the P70 remains one of the best kept secrets in motorsport. The unlikely pairing of Carroll Shelby and Alejandro de Tomaso, two of the strongest egos in international motorsport, conspired to build a race car they felt could defeat the best in the world.
"My design philosophy for the P70, in addition to my traditional small aerodynamic frontal area and downforce devices, was for all the components of the car to be integrated seamlessly within the body. First would be the reduction in frontal area. Instead of a mandated height for the windscreen it would be integrated into the form of the body." - Peter Brock, De Tomaso P70 Designer
The Shelby-De Tomaso “Prototipi” was known as the 'P70,' or ‘70P,' due to its planned 7 liter engine. However, over the course of the project the combination of two strong personalities and ulterior motives led to the dissolving of the relationship just before the cars completion. The Shelby - De Tomaso P70 remains as the sole mechanical tribute to what could have been a successful partnership. With its innovative super light central spine chassis and integrally mounted load-bearing Ford V8 engine, the P70 had a power-to-weight ratio that would easily match or beat the competition at the time.
To commemorate the 60th Anniversary of De Tomaso, we proudly debuted the first new project of our revival, the P72, a romantic homage to the De Tomaso P70. Taking design inspiration and visual queues from the original race car, the P72 creates a new segment with a focus on driver engagement and analogue nostalgia. To accompany its cutting-edge chassis dynamics the P72 also features a full carbon fibre body with a design that exuberates perpetual beauty and a proper manual transmission. This is a car for all generations.
"When I was told this new De Tomaso is an “homage” to my P70 Sports racer I was honored. My first impressions of the new De Tomaso are all so positive I hardly know where to begin. The exterior form is so well done it invites you to keep walking around, admiring every subtle detail. With its design and engineering I think the De Tomaso P72 will set a new standard." - Peter Brock, De Tomaso P70 Designer
The P72 remains highly exclusive with only 72 coupes being produced worldwide and all units allocated.
“The most thrilling driving experience does not simply come from adding power but from removing complexity. In this sense, the P72 brings a refreshing philosophy to the hypercar space. Extremely capable under all driving conditions and engineered by a team with over 30 years experience in high-end motorsports. De Tomaso retains the goal of creating a transcendent marvel that dances with equal grace on the open road and the unforgiving track. Driven by our longstanding relationship with HWA, our teams are one step closer to delivering a masterpiece.” - Norman Choi, Chief Executive Officer
“The continuation of a successful partnership - HWA is proud to realise another project in cooperation with De Tomaso: The De Tomaso P72. Our employees and engineering experts are enjoying working on this project and can freely unfold their acquired know-how in the development of high-performance vehicles and their motorsport expertise. We are looking forward to seeing the shining faces of the customers of this true masterpiece.” – Martin Marx, Chief Executive Officer of HWA AG (CEO)