Commercial Break: Norton Triumph Company advert, 1972 (UK)

United States GP, Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course, October 8, 1972

Jackie Stewart completed the 1972 World Championship with one of the most convincing wins of his career. Driving the Derek Gardner-designed Tyrrell he was in a class of his own and led from start to finish. 

François Cevert finished second in the sister Tyrrell 006, while Denny Hulme rounded out the podium in the McLaren M19A.

Photo by Motor Sport magazine

1972 Dodge Demon - Hellboy

A rare Paxton-packing muscle car, with a veteran drag racers help.
What you see here is a Dodge Demon GSS, a rare enough beastie on its own even in its heyday, but with drag racer 'Mr Norm' Kraus sprinkling his nitro dust on it, it became arguably the last great muscle car of the original era.

At a time when bhp figures were on the wane, due to a culmination of emissions laws and ever-increasing insurance costs, Kraus put together a tuning package, the centrepiece of which was a belt-riven Paxton supercharger, that pushed power from a decidedly anemic 240bhp to a rather more rosy-cheeked 360bhp. Its reputed that only a few hundred were converted which makes this restored example an obscure A-body Mopar indeed. But be careful not to talk trash about this Demon; its sure to appear in your rear-view mirror when you least expect it.
Unleash hell on your signal, here.

- Amazosan

Getting Your Goat - 1972 Pontiac GTO

Not to be confused with 'The Judge' performance package, which was discontinued in February 1971, the 1972 GTO reverted from a separate model line to a US$353.88 option package for the Le Mans and Le Mans Sport coupes. On the base Le Mans line, the GTO package could be had with either the low-priced pillared coupé or pillarless hardtop coupé  Both models came as standard with cloth and vinyl or all-vinyl bench seats with rubber floor mats on the pillared coupé upgrading to carpeting on the hardtop, creating a lower-priced GTO. The Le Mans Sport, offered only as a hardtop coupé came with 'Strato' bucket seats upholstered in vinyl, along with carpeting on floor and lower door panels, vinyl door-pull straps, custom pedal trim and cushioned steering wheel, much like GTOs of previous years.

Other optional equipment was similar to the '71 and earlier models. Planned for 1972 as a GTO option was the ducktail rear spoiler from the Firebird, but after a few cars were built with that option, the mould used to produce the spoiler broke, and it was cancelled. Rally II and honeycomb wheels were optional on all GTOs, with the honeycombs now featuring red Pontiac arrowhead emblems on the centre caps, while the Rally IIs continued with the same caps as before, with the letters "PMD" (for Pontiac Motor Division).

Power, (now rated in SAE net bhp) terms, was down further, to 250 bhp at 4400 rpm and 325 lb/ft at 3200 rpm torque for the base 400ci V8 engine. The optional 455ci had the same rated power (although at a peak of 3600 rpm), but substantially more torque. The engines were little changed from 197; most of the drop was attributable to the new rating system (which now reflected an engine in as-installed condition, with a full exhaust system and accessories).
A very rare option was the 455 HO engine, similar to that used in the Trans Am. It was rated at 300bhp at 4000rpm and 415 lb/ft at 3200rpm, also in the new SAE net figures. Despite its modest 8.4:1 compression, it was as strong as many earlier engines with higher gross power ratings; yet like all other 1972-model engines, it could perform on low-octane petrol. Only 646 cars with this engine were sold.

However, sales plummeted by 45%, to 5,811 which incuded a single convertible and three station wagons. Although Pontiac did not offer a production GTO convertible in 1972, a buyer could order a Le Mans Sport convertible with either of the three GTO engines and other sporty/performance options to create a GTO in all but name. Even the GTO's Endura bumper was offered as an option on Le Mans/Sport models, with "PONTIAC" spelled out on the driver's side grille rather than "GTO".

This particular example came up for sale recently in America classic car site for a reasonable Price: $13,000; with only 63989 miles on the clock, the 400 cube Poncho V8 and Turbo 400 are hardly run in. To be honest, the interior looks like it could do with a bloody good clean and those door trims are well, a matter of taste but with air con, electric windows and power steering, we could forgive that.

Street Life - Capri. No Sun.

Now is the time of year where most old car owners put their babies away for the winter, to keep them out of the line of fire of salt sprayers, greasy roads, snow & ice and of course worst of all, dozy twonks in modern cars who suddenly fall off the road at the first sign of a snowflake.
Some brave souls are still gamely using their classics, either through necessity or pride. This Capri is one such case, and maybe one that should really be putting it's feet up 'till the tulips pop out.

It's a 1972 1600 XL auto, with a few tasty period extras; try that opinion divider that is a Webasto fabric sunroof and auxiliary lights for that extra '70's motor factor' touch.

'It Never rains In Southern California'. East London on the other hand...

You've no doubt spotted that this Capri is also sporting an unwanted period accessory - a whole lotta rust. While it's nothing a pair of fresh wings, a shedload of Zintec and a few miles of MIG wire couldn't cure, it always hurts to see what looks like a cherry old Ford with fresh air where Dagenham steel should be. That's assuming the paint isn't hiding other past sins...

Still, who wouldn't want a crack at curing this grand old dame's ills? Not me. Thats why I left my phone number under the wiper. Ohhh. Yeahhh. Like the famous advert once boasted, Amazo-san promised himself one Capri; this may as well be the one. Welding mask to standby.
- Amazo-san

Cars & Music - Tom Scott And A Striped Tomato...

Tom Scott is an American saxophonist, composer, arranger, conductor and band leader of The L.A. Express, member of which played on several Joni Mitchell albums. He is the son of prolific film and television composer Nathan Scott, who had more than 850 television credits and more than 100 film credits as a composer, orchestrator and conductor, including credit for composing the theme songs for Dragnet, The Twilight Zone and Lassie.

His best-known works are the theme songs for TV series from the 1970s and 1980s; The Streets of San Francisco, his collaboration with Johnny Mathis to write and record Without Us, the theme to the 80's sitcom Family Ties, a series best known to us Brits for launching the career of one Michael J. Fox, and his saxophone work on the 1975 song Listen to What the Man Said, for Paul McCartney & Wings.

He's performed on dozens of solo recordings for which he has collected 13 Grammy nominations and 3 wins. As well as the aforementioned film and TV scoring credits (and hanging with McCartney), he's worked with artists as diverse as (deep breath) George Harrison, The Grateful Dead, Steppenwolf, Whitney Houston, Barbra Streisand, Joni Mitchell, Blondie, Eddie Money, Steely Dan, Pink Floyd, Quincy Jones, Carole King, Olivia Newton-John and Frank Sinatra.
He has many more achievements to boast of (being part of the Blues Brothers band for example), however, for the purposes of this article, we're interested in a particular track he did called Gotcha.
Never heard of it, you say? Oh yes; yes you have.
It's better known as the theme tune to Starsky & Hutch. Well, the one that people remember the most.

The first series of the show had a dark and ominous theme written by Lalo Schifrin that fitted the hard action and violence; the main title version was edited down from the chase climax score for the pilot episode (the climax contains the shot of Hutch leaping off a fire escape and landing on a car which appears in the opening titles of all subsequent episodes). The end credits featured a similar piece of ominous music. Sadly for Schifrin fans, his S&H work has never been released as a complete collection.
Boo, hiss, boo.

 

The first series theme was replaced for the series 2 by Scott's Gotcha. It's been subsequently covered by several acts, including the James Taylor Quartet and The Ventures. For the third series, a more dramatic theme, written by Mark Snow was used that highlighted the show's move to more socially-conscious and light-hearted stories. A reworked Gotcha, returned for the fourth and last series. The revamped version was the most easy going of the different themes for the series, reflecting the last series' increased buddy cop feel. Schifrin, Scott and Snow also scored several episodes; Alan Silvestri also worked on the series, scoring three episodes.
As well as that famous theme tune (it was used for the second & third series), the series is also known for a particular red 1974 Ford Gran Torino Sport, with The Stripe That Launched A Thousand Replicas.

The 1974-1976 line can trace its roots back to 1972, when the Torino was redesigned using many characteristics carried over from the classic '70 -'71 model. The 1972 Torino styling emphasised the long bonnet, short boot look as well as the classic 'coke bottle' styling more than ever before. The most radical change was at the front; a large egg crate grille in an oval opening on the Gran Torino. Motoring journalist Tom McCahill remarked in an article that it looked like Namu, the killer whale. The number of models was reduced from 14 models in 1971 to 9 in 1972. The convertible was discontinued, and the 4 door hardtops and saloons were replaced with 4 door "pillared hardtops"; Ford's term for 4 door saloons with flameless door glass. All other body styles remained, including the fastback, which Ford continued to dub SportsRoof. Plaoin old "Torino" remained the base series, but the mid-level Torino 500 was renamed "Gran Torino".

The Torino Brougham was reduced to an option package for the Gran Torino, and Torino GT became "Gran Torino Sport." The Torino and Gran Torino were available as a 2 door hardtop and a 4-door sedan; the Gran Torino Sport was available as a 2-door hardtop and SportsRoof. The station wagon line-up consisted of three models: Torino, Gran Torino, and Gran Torino Squire. Alas, the Cobra model was discontinued as the Torino line was refocused more toward luxury and less towards performance. The biggest change for the Torino was the switch to a separate chassis from the monocoque construction of the 1971 models. While sounding like a retrograde step, the new chassis helped to give the Torino a quieter and more isolated ride.

Front suspension used unequal length control arms, with coil springs and an anti-roll bar (a first for the Torino line) much like the full size Ford LTD. The rear used the "Stabul" four link suspension with coils mounted on a solid axle. Ford offered two suspension options: heavy-duty and competition, with progressively beefier springs, dampers and antil-roll bars. Front disc brakes now became standard on all Torinos, which no other American intermediate (other than the sister Mercury Montego) offered in 1972. Servo-assisted brakes remained an option for all models under 429ci ; they were standard on all station wagons and 429ci powered models. Power steering was also revised, while All Torinos now had 14" wheels, while 15" versions were used for police and fleet models. Separate wheelbases were used for both 2 door and 4-door models, a trend that followed the equivalent GM and Mopar models. Like it's rivals, Ford managed to spin out a full model range for the Torino for all tastes while still sharing many parts. Base engine was the 250ci straight 6 in all models except the wagons and the Gran Torino Sport which had a 302ci V8 in 2V trim as standard. Now read the next few sentences carefully, as Ford engine ranges in the 1970's get just a tad confusing.The Torino engine range included the 302ci 2V Windsor, a 351ci 2V Windsor or Cleveland (two different V8 engines, same capacity), a 351ci 4V Cobra Jet (CJ), a 400ci 2V, and a 429ci 4V. The 400ci 2V was a new engine to the Torino line-up, and was part of the '335' series engine family like the 351ci Cleveland, but with a taller engine block. Don't be confused by the whole 2v, 3v thing; it refers to engine tune, not number of valves.

The 429 4V was not a high-performance engine like the Cobra Jets of previous years; instead, it was a high torque, low revving engine. Emissions, low lead requirements and fuel economy requirements had begun to take their toll. All models were equipped with a three-speed manual transmission as a standard feature. The Cruise-O-Matic remained optional, but was a mandatory option for the 351 2V, 400 2V and 429 4V. The 351 4V CJ required either the 4-speed or the Cruise-O-Matic as standard options. With the only performance engine being the 351 4V Cobra Jet, performance was no longer at the "super car" levels of the old 429 Cobra Jet Torinos. Performance with the 351 CJ was still good though, and Car and Driver tested a 351 CJ, 4-speed Gran Torino Sport SportsRoof with 3.50:1 gears to a 0-60 time of 6.8 seconds. Car and Driver didn't publish its quarter mile times, but Cars magazine tested a Gran Torino Sport SportsRoof with a 351 CJ, C-6 automatic, and 3.50 gears to run though the quarter mile in 15.40 seconds. Overall, the '72 Torino was a great success and a total of 496,645 cars were produced, making it the best-selling intermediate for 1972. This was the first time Ford had ever outsold the Chevrolet Chevelle since its introduction in 1964. Incidentally the '72 model can boast it's own claim to fame, with a Gran Torino Sport SportsRoof featuring in the Clint Eastwood film Gran Torino.

In 1973 there were 2 grill/models available: the "base"  Torino (the green one) and the Gran Torino, that had the more familiar centre grille

The most obvious change for the 1973 model saw was the new front, required to meet new US crash regulations. The Torino's front end featured totally new sheet metal from the bulkhead (firewall) forward, with a blunt, more squared off face replacing the previous year's more pointed prow. These modifications added about 100 lbs in weight over the '72. Separate grille designs were still maintained for Torino and Gran Torino models; they mimicked the '72s in design. The Gran Torino maintained the rear bumper of it's 1972 forbear, with the lights inset into the bumper, albeit with minor changes to meet federal requirements. The model line-up for 1973 increased to 11 from 9 in 1972; The new top level Torino was the Gran Torino Brougham, available as a 2 door hardtop and a 4 door sedan. The 250 cube six remained as the base engine for all models, except for the 2v 302 for the station wagons and Sport. Other engine options also remained the same, but with their compression ratio dropped to 8.0:1, a result of ever-stringent emissions controls. As a result, power for all engines was slightly lower than had gone before. The 351 CJ continued to be the only high-performance engine option, thankfully little changed from the previous year, although performance was blunted due to the weight increase. Police package Torinos had all the engine options of the 'civvie' models while the "Interceptor" package featured the 460 4V (from the 385-series engine range) for 1973. Bigger, 11" brakes were employed to cope with the extra girth, an inch bigger than last year. Other than minor trim and engine induction changes, the Sport was unchanged from the 1972 model year, and continued to be offered as a 2 door hardtop and 2 door SportsRoof.

In the Car and Driver magazine road test of a 1973 Gran Torino Sport, the suspension received high marks for comfort and handling. Car and Driver wrote that the Torino was as "..quiet as a Jaguar, smooth as a Continental, the Torino's ride is exceptional...even with the competition suspension." Their test of a SportsRoof equipped with the 351 CJ, C-6 automatic, and 3.25:1 gears, resulted in a 0-60 mph time of 7.7 seconds while the quarter mile was dispatched in 16 seconds at 88.1 mph, slower than before, but still acceptable to most people. 1973 was another successful year for the Torino, with 496,581 units, even with the stiff competition from GM's new for 1973 "Colonnade" intermediates. Torino in fact outsold its main competitor, the Chevrolet Chevelle, by over 168,000 units.

The 1974-1976 model year are the ones that the S&H car is based on; the new grille was of similar shape to the 1973 but was revised, bumpers and trim were little changed to previous years. There were other more substantial changes, however; Gran Torino 2 doors now were available with opera windows, a popular option during the mid 1970s, while Brougham models had these as a standard feature. All 2 door Torinos had fixed rear windows unlike the 1972-73 models. The Torino was becoming more luxury oriented and new luxury features were available; these included a leather-wrapped steering wheel, split bench seat and an electric sunroof. Gran Torino hardtops and sedans had a new rear fender skirt option, to give the Torino a longer, lower look.

The competition suspension was no longer offered, and the only suspension option was a revised heavy-duty suspension package. The Gran Torino Sport no longer was available with the Sportsroof fastback roof line, and the new "Gran Torino Elite" was introduced. The Gran Torino Elite was developed by Ford to help respond to Chevrolet's ever popular Monte Carlo; it was designed as an entry level "personal luxury" vehicle, for those who couldn't afford a Thunderbird, and was in the same price range as the Monte Carlo. The Elite was described by Ford as "A totally new 2 door hardtop. ..with Thunderbird-inspired styling, sold engineering and personal luxury. ..plus mid-size economy." The Elite wasn't totally new, as Ford described, but it did have a number of unique features; it had unique front sheet metal, with styling that was indeed inspired by the Thunderbird. It came with the 351ci 2v as standard.

The 1974 base model saloon

Torinos were now even larger and heavier than ever before; all body styles were approximately 5" longer due in part to the safety bumpers. With all Torinos gaining weight and inches, the trusty straight 6 was dropped, although some cars were still equipped with it; the 'close-up car in the 2004 Starsky & Hutch film was a six. The 302 was the 'official' base engine for the range, backed up by the 3-speed; larger engines used the Cruise-O-Matic. The tide had turned against performance cars especially since the 1973 Oil Crisis; 1974 was the last year for the 351 CJ and four-speed. The Gran Torino Sport was only a shadow of its former self for 1974. With the Sportsroof model discontinued, Sport models were often difficult to distinguish from Gran Torino 2-doors. To add insult to injury, the Sport was even available with optional opera windows (on vinyl-roofed cars) and fender skirts. Performance was even more lacklustre for 1974, with power down and weight up. The 1974 Sport was a bit of a porker too; almost 400 lb heavier than the leaner 1972 Sport. The Torino range had another successful year in 1974, and continued to be ever popular. Ford produced 426,086 units, including 96,604 Gran Torino Elites.

For 1975 model year, the Torino  was for the most part unchanged; the Elite was now an independent model, marketed simply as the Ford Elite. The Torino's weight continued to climb, even though the exterior dimensions were unchanged from 1974. The Federal Clean Air Act meant Ford installed catalytic converters to help meet new emission standards; surprise surprise, power was significantly reduced. In response, Ford changed the base engine on all Torinos to the 351-2V engine; along with this change, the Cruise-O-Matic transmission became standard. No manual transmissions were available. Power for all engines, except the 460, was significantly reduced compared to 1974, and with the weight increase, fuel economy and performance continued to decrease. The 400 2V and the 460 4V were the only engine options, as the Cleveland 351 4V was of course no longer available, being replaced with a version of the 351M, which used the taller '400' block. Like we said before, Ford's V8 line-up in the 70's is confusing. The Gran Torino Sport was still available, and remained virtually unchanged from the 1974 model. The Sport continued to remain almost indistinguishable from a conventional Gran Torino, and customers responded with a lack of interest; only 5,126 were produced.

The 1976 Elite. The 'Torino' name was dropped the previous year

Sales for the Torino as a whole fell significantly from 1974. With the Elite now a separate model, the Torino lost a large portion of its sales; Ford produced only 195,110 Torino's for 1975. Even with the addition of the 123,372 Elites produced for 1975, total output was 318,482 which was still significantly lower than 1974. Sales decreases were likely due to the increased demand for smaller economical cars, while Ford's new "sensibly" sized Granada most likely also stole sales. The Ford Granada was classed as a compact by Ford, but ironically had dimensions close to that of a late 1960s Ford Torino. By '76, the Torino was firmly in decline; there were no major changes to the Torino line-up and the Gran Torino Sport was discontinued. Engine options remained unchanged; the 351 2V engines and the 400 2V had a power and torque increase, and the 460 4V had a power decrease. Which brings us to Starsky & Hutch.

Not one of the myriad 'fan' knock-offs - this one is an official Ford-produced replica

The producers (Spelling-Goldberg Productions) needed a flashy speciality car for the main characters to drive. Originally the show's creator, William Blinn, was to have Starsky drive a green and white high performance Chevrolet Camaro, because he remembered one that he had previously owned. When the production was being planned, the studio was unable to locate another green and white Chevrolet Camaro or order a 1975 Camaro from GM, because of their lease contract with Ford. It was decided - eventually - that a bright red 1975 Gran Torino two-door would be the vehicle of choice for the pilot episode. To make the Torino look less mundane, a large white vector stripe was added. Five-slot alloy mag wheels and larger rear tyres were fitted, and air shocks were added to give the car an aggressive rake. Paul Michael Glaser originally hated the car, stating that when he was first shown the Torino by Aaron Spelling, he sarcastically said to David Soul, "That thing looks like a striped tomato!" and the name stuck.

'This is gonna hurt...'

The show became quite popular with the public and much of that popularity was centred on the star Torino. Ford couldn't help but take notice to the public's interest in the Starsky and Hutch Torino, and decided to introduce a replica version. Ford built 1,000 replicas of the S&H car in the spring of 1976. Production of the replicas began in March 1976, all of which were made in Ford's Chicago Assembly plant. This limited production package was essentially a special paint option, but required the deluxe bumper and dual colour keyed sport mirrors as mandatory options. The TV car's slot mag wheels were not offered by Ford, and the only aggressive-looking wheel option was the Magnum 500 wheel. They were not a mandatory option though, and incredibly these cars came equipped with wheel covers as standard. When producing the replicas, Ford painted the entire car white, then masked off the stripe and painted the rest of the car the shade of bright red used on the 1972-75 models (and subsequently the TV cars); this colour had been discontinued for all other Torino models for 1976 in favour of a different shade of red.

The factory replicas were close to the TV show Torino, but had minor differences in the stripe, and did not have the aggressive rake of the TV car. Many replica owners installed slot mags and air shocks after purchase to give the car a more authentic look. The factory replica was available with all Torino engines. Seat colours were limited to black or white and were available with all seating trims and options. One of the factory replicas was leased to Spelling-Goldberg as a backup for the original Torinos that were created for the show.
Production total for the Torino in 1976 was 193,096 units, slightly lower than 1975. This was the final year for the Torino, as for the 1977 model year, Ford replaced it with the LTD II, created through a major restyle of the Torino sheet metal. The Torino chassis continued to live on under the LTD II, the Mercury Cougar, the Ford Ranchero and the Ford Thunderbird from 1977 to 1979, when it was replaced by the legendary Panther platform.

A red '74 Gran Torino, but without a white stripe? Jings, what would David Michael Starsky think?

Lookit! A Gran Torino Sport, with a vinyl roof!

This one's a completely different colour, and-wassat?

...oh, go on then

- Amazo doesn't like the stripe, does he?

- Nope, no he doesn't 

Starsky & Hutch - a very ordinary cop show idea, but an idea saved not only by the two main stars, but by an unlikely supporting cast. An ordinary car with an iconic (if now overexposed) paint job and a unforgettable theme tune by a largely underrated musical genius.
The whole was definitely made greater by the sum of these parts.

Racecar Of The Day - 1972 De Tomaso Pantera Gr.3 Prototype on eBay

To everyone who's ever listed a car on eBay and struggled to make an appealing listing and to the people who have made our day when we've laughed out loud at listings that are funny for all of the wrong reasons:
THIS is how you list a car.
OK, it helps that the car in question is a De Tomaso Pantera Gr.3 Prototype (Chassis 1070), but by jingo, they couldn't have put this car in a better light. We think that the $235,000 asking price is, if anything, too low.
Heres that link again; feel free to drool, slobber, gibber, go cross-eyed and generally act like a 5 year-old kid who's been given his first toy car. We are.

From the ad:

Of all Gr.3 Panteras ( presumably 34 ), 1070 is definitely the most unique. The Gr.3 Pantera was available by special order from the factory from 1972 through 1984 and '1070' was the first one.Being the prototype of the Gr.3 it was built on a leftover 'push-button' chassis and, therefore, is the only existing Gr.3 with a hand-made body as all pre-production Panteras were built by hand before the factory had the assembly line in place. The only noticeable difference were the door handles and thatís why all pre-production hand-made Panteras are called 'pulsante' ( push-button ).
Chucks registry indicates that:

• Chassis 1001-1383 were push-buttons
• 1001-1285 stayed in europe
• 1286-1383 were exported to the US
• The euro pushbuttons are a little different from the US pushbuttons

In addition to being the Gr.3 prototype, 1070 also stands aside as having one of the most intense racing activity of all Gr.3s. The archive of its racing life in Italy is intense and extremely well documented, as you will see below, but not all the results are known to this day and there should be some more room in years to come to complete it.
Sold new on March 21, 1972 to  ìAuto Club Roma Italiaî it was registered  with plate 'Roma KO 9227'. It was sold in 1973 to 'Ital Atlantic Express' for their driver Maurizio Micangeli to compete in the Italian sports car championship.
In the year 1974, Maurizio Micangeli raced her 7 times with 3 first place finishes.He moved on to a Gr.4 Pantera in 1975 and '1070' was sold to their friend Marco Curti alias 'Spiffero'.Spiffero raced her intensively until the end of 1979 when he storaged her as he also bought a Gr.4 ( 2858 ).
Within these 5 years he raced her at practically every race taking place in Italy with a couple of 2nd place finished. He also raced her each year at the prestigious 5 day Giro díItalia where his best result was 10th overall in 1978 behind some great drivers of that era like Markku Allen, Riccardo Patrese, Michelle Mouton, and behind great cars like Porsche 935 Turbo, Lancia Stratos Turbo.
Some other races where he took part in that second part of the 70's were won by drivers like Jacky Ickx, Jochen Mass and many others.Spiffero sold her in the mid 90's to Dominato Lado who took her to the factory for a complete restoration and changed the color from black to silver black. He took place in many Italian historical races and sold her in 2003 to Lado Niccolo who did the same until selling her in 2005.
1070 has been in Belgium since and is now available for a new home either for a private collection of historic racing cars or to continue her racing career in all the classic events around the world. She is eligible for all the famous ones like the Le Mans Classic (which she did in 2002 ), the French Tour Auto or even the new born Giro díItalia where she should be very welcomed, having done the original one 5 timesBy the way, it's probably one of very few Italian registered racing cars that is still with its first registration plates. (if you have an address in Italy, it could stay that way).

Condition :
Having done 48 historic races since the restoration in 1997 sheís not in concours condition, of course, but is very well preserved with a perfectly straight body that shows a small dent in the front hood, some chip stones on the nose and a few cracks in the paint near the windows. The interior is completely original and in perfect shape. The steering wheel and the 2 bucket seats are from the 90ís and both seats are worn around the area that holds the shoulders. The engine bay was cosmetically refreshed this last May when a full service was done and looks almost new. The work carried out was a new MSD ignition system with new plugs, cables and a new distributor. The original Ford 351 engine runs as new and delivers all the power wich you can tell by a time of 2:58 around the Spa-Francorchamps track in June of this year. All brakes were done in 2007 and are very good. Gearbox is perfect and the heavy-duty clutch is a little rough but does the job perfectly. Four new vintage-design Dunlop tires were also fitted this year. The 4 original Cromodora wheels ( not replicas ) were repainted a few years ago but the paint isnít as smooth as it should be. All electrical functions work perfectly including the pop-up headlight system (one is a bit slower that the other). The passenger side window rolls down but not evenly and needs some help rolling up.      The sale includes the following :

• The original ´Libretto' ( Italian registration document ) delivered in 1972 showing every change of ownership
• The original 1997 FIA papers with stamped pictures and technical data
• The original technical passport from the Automobile club díItalia ( ACI CSAI ) with 48 races registered and signed between 1998 and 2005
• A good copy of the original invoice of the car from the factory to Auto Club Roma dated March 21, 1972
• The front and rear original Italian License plates ´Roma KO 9227'
• A portfolio with about 50 original large prints photographs of the car in action in the 70's
• Many copys of invoices from De Tomaso Modena from the 70's and a copy of the work carried out in 2011.

The car's got some competition history, to sat the least:

1974 - Vallelunga:

Magione:

Mugeno:

Coppa Intereuropa, Monza:

1975 - Giro D'Italia:

Back to Vallelunga:

1976 - Vallelunga:

1976 - Passo Dello Spino, an Italian road race:

Magione:

Rieti Terminillo, a hillclimb:

Spinning it at Imola:

Giro D'Italia:

Back to the regular haunt of Vallelunga:

Passo Dello Spino:

Hunting down an Alfa GTA, Imola:

1977 - Giro Del L'umbria; what a grid:

Love that Group 5 Pantera:

Giro D'italia:

1978 now; Giro D'Italia:

Giro Del L'umbria:

Magione, caning a Porsche:

And again in 1979:

Then onto the regular haunt of the Giro Del L'umbria. This car sure put down some race miles:

The Giro D'Italia, at night; the sound of that 351ci Windsor must have been awesome:

Misano:

Mugello:

A new venue, Varano de Mellegari:

And the best thing is, the car still races today in the FIA Historic championship:

And chilling with the siblingsat Spa, 2011: