Model history
Production of the De Tomaso Longchamp began in 1972. The model was designed by Tom Tjaarda. The only engine choice was Ford's 351 V8 with an automatic transmission from Ford mounted in the rear transaxle. A few cars will get a manual 5-speed gearbox from ZF. De Tomaso Longchamp had independent suspension and disc brakes on all four wheels, the rear of which were "inboard" mounted on the drive shafts towards the gearbox. The top speed was stated at 240 km/h. A curiosity is that early cars got the same headlights as the Ford Consul/Granada of the time. Only 400 cars were produced between 1972 and 1986 - none were sold to Norway as new, but in today's vehicle register there are 9 cars with and without plates.
Maserati Kyalami
When De Tomaso bought Maserati in 1976, there was a need to create a new model. De Tomaso based the model on his own Longchamp. The Maserati variant received minor design changes and was equipped with Maserati's own 4,2 V8 engine. The new Maserati model was named Kyalami and was produced as a model year from 1977 to 1983.
About the pictures
The car in the pictures was photographed at the Øvrevoll gallop on the occasion of the Norwegian Sports Car Club's annual spring rally in 2019.
Click on an image to view in a larger format.
Copyright notice
See
