De Tomaso Longchamp
Encyclopedia
The De Tomaso Longchamp is an automobile
which was produced by the Italian
automaker
De Tomaso
from 1972 to 1989.
The Longchamp was developed from the De Tomaso Deauville
four-door sedan, using a shorter wheelbase chassis with the same suspension, engine and transmission. The two models were the only front-engined production cars produced by De Tomaso. The Longchamp was first exhibited at the 1972 Turin Motor Show and was initially offered only as a two-door
2+2 coupé
. It was designed by Tom Tjaarda of Ghia and was influenced by his previous Lancia Marica prototype. The taillights were the same units as were used for the Alfa Romeo 1750/2000
saloon.
The Longchamp featured a long hood to accommodate a 351 in³ (5766 cc) Ford
Cleveland V8. The 351 Cleveland, a popular engine in late 1960s Ford "muscle car
s," was the same as that used in the Pantera
. It produced 330 hp
(246 kW
) and gave the Longchamp a 240 km/h (149 mph) top speed. The engine power was later reduced to 270 hp. The standard gearbox was a 3-speed Ford C-6 Cruise-o-Matic automatic gearbox
, however around 17 cars were equipped with a 5-speed ZF
manual gearbox
. The suspension was independent front and rear with coil spring and wishbone suspension
. Steering was power assisted rack and pinion
with vented disc brake
s all around, the rear discs being positioned inboard. The interior of the car was quite luxurious and it was almost fully covered with leather.
A Longchamp GTS variant was introduced at the 1980 Turin Motor Show, featuring wider wheels and flared wheel arches and minor suspension setting differences to better utilize the wider Campagnolo
wheels with Pirelli
P7 tyres. A Longchamp cabriolet variant ("Spyder") also appeared at the 1980 Turin Motor Show. It was made by Carrozerria Pavesi of Milan, and a small number were built to GTS specifications. Pavesi also converted a number of older coupés.
A total of 409 Longchamps were built (395 coupes and 14 spyders) between 1972 and 1989, with only a couple per year built during the last years. The vast majority are of Series 1 specifications. Some claim that production actually came to an end in 1986, with later cars being sold from stock. The Maserati Kyalami
was very similar to the Longchamp, although no body panels were actually shared. The Kyalami also used a Maserati V8, rather than the Ford unit favored by De Tomaso.
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
which was produced by the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
automaker
Automaker
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
De Tomaso
De Tomaso
De Tomaso Automobili SpA is an Italian car-manufacturing company. It was founded by the Argentine-born Alejandro de Tomaso in Modena in 1959. It originally produced various prototypes and racing cars, including a Formula One car for Frank Williams' team in 1970. The company developed a reputation...
from 1972 to 1989.
The Longchamp was developed from the De Tomaso Deauville
De Tomaso Deauville
De Tomaso Deauville is a large four-door sedan first exhibited at Turin Motor Show 1970. The car was powered by the same 330 hp, 351 in³ Ford Cleveland V8 as the De Tomaso Pantera...
four-door sedan, using a shorter wheelbase chassis with the same suspension, engine and transmission. The two models were the only front-engined production cars produced by De Tomaso. The Longchamp was first exhibited at the 1972 Turin Motor Show and was initially offered only as a two-door
Vehicle door
A vehicle door is a partition, typically hinged, but sometimes attached by other mechanisms such as tracks, in front of an opening which is used for entering and exiting a vehicle. A vehicle door can be opened to provide access to the opening, or closed to secure it. These doors are similar to...
2+2 coupé
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
. It was designed by Tom Tjaarda of Ghia and was influenced by his previous Lancia Marica prototype. The taillights were the same units as were used for the Alfa Romeo 1750/2000
Alfa Romeo 1750
The Alfa Romeo 1750/2000 is a medium-priced range of cars presented in 1967 by Alfa Romeo.The 1750 Berlina sedan was introduced in 1967, together with the 1750 GTV coupe and 2000 Spider. The 1750 models replaced the earlier 2600 Berlina, Sprint and Spider at the top of the Alfa Romeo range...
saloon.
The Longchamp featured a long hood to accommodate a 351 in³ (5766 cc) Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
Cleveland V8. The 351 Cleveland, a popular engine in late 1960s Ford "muscle car
Muscle car
Muscle car is a term used to refer to a variety of high-performance automobiles. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines muscle cars as "any of a group of American-made 2-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." Usually, a large V8 engine is fitted in a...
s," was the same as that used in the Pantera
De Tomaso Pantera
The Pantera was a sports car produced by the De Tomaso car company of Italy from 1971 to 1991, the last one being delivered to a customer in 1992.The word "Pantera" is Italian for "Panther".-History:...
. It produced 330 hp
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
(246 kW
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
) and gave the Longchamp a 240 km/h (149 mph) top speed. The engine power was later reduced to 270 hp. The standard gearbox was a 3-speed Ford C-6 Cruise-o-Matic automatic gearbox
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
, however around 17 cars were equipped with a 5-speed ZF
ZF Friedrichshafen
ZF Friedrichshafen AG, also known as ZF Group, and commonly abbreviated to ZF, is a German public company headquartered in Friedrichshafen, in the south-west German region of Baden-Württemberg....
manual gearbox
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
. The suspension was independent front and rear with coil spring and wishbone suspension
Double wishbone suspension
In automobiles, a double wishbone suspension is an independent suspension design using two wishbone-shaped arms to locate the wheel. Each wishbone or arm has two mounting points to the chassis and one joint at the knuckle. The shock absorber and coil spring mount to the wishbones to control...
. Steering was power assisted rack and pinion
Rack and pinion
A rack and pinion is a type of linear actuator that comprises a pair of gears which convert rotational motion into linear motion. A circular gear called "the pinion" engages teeth on a linear "gear" bar called "the rack"; rotational motion applied to the pinion causes the rack to move, thereby...
with vented disc brake
Disc brake
The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel while it is in motion.A brake disc is usually made of cast iron, but may in some cases be made of composites such as reinforced carbon–carbon or ceramic matrix composites. This is connected to the wheel and/or...
s all around, the rear discs being positioned inboard. The interior of the car was quite luxurious and it was almost fully covered with leather.
History
Production of the Series 1 began in 1973. For 1980 the modernized series 2 was introduced, with slight modifications occurring later as well.A Longchamp GTS variant was introduced at the 1980 Turin Motor Show, featuring wider wheels and flared wheel arches and minor suspension setting differences to better utilize the wider Campagnolo
Campagnolo
Campagnolo is an Italian manufacturer of high-end bicycle components with headquarters in Vicenza, Italy. The components are organised as groupsets and are a near-complete collection of a bicycle's mechanical parts. Campagnolo's flagship components are the Super Record, Record, and Chorus...
wheels with Pirelli
Pirelli
Pirelli & C. SpA is a diverse multinational company based in Milan, Italy. The company, the world’s fifth largest tyre manufacturer, is present in over 160 countries, has 20 manufacturing sites around the world and a network of around 10,000 distributors and retailers.Founded in Milan in 1872,...
P7 tyres. A Longchamp cabriolet variant ("Spyder") also appeared at the 1980 Turin Motor Show. It was made by Carrozerria Pavesi of Milan, and a small number were built to GTS specifications. Pavesi also converted a number of older coupés.
A total of 409 Longchamps were built (395 coupes and 14 spyders) between 1972 and 1989, with only a couple per year built during the last years. The vast majority are of Series 1 specifications. Some claim that production actually came to an end in 1986, with later cars being sold from stock. The Maserati Kyalami
Maserati Kyalami
The Maserati Kyalami is an automobile which was produced by Maserati in Italy from 1976 to 1983.Named after the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in South Africa, it was a new model rushed into production after Alessandro de Tomaso took helm of the company...
was very similar to the Longchamp, although no body panels were actually shared. The Kyalami also used a Maserati V8, rather than the Ford unit favored by De Tomaso.