What the car is and where it came from
The De Tomaso Vallelunga is a mid-engine sports car—the first road-going automobile made by De Tomaso. It debuted as a concept named after the Autodromo di Vallelunga racing circuit, shown at the Turin Auto Show in 1963. After no buyer emerged, Carrozzeria Fissore built fifteen aluminium-bodied coupés to Alejandro de Tomaso’s rolling chassis in 1964.
How it works, in terms someone would actually use
The Vallelunga places the driver behind a Renault rack-and-pinion steering column, with feet on pedals connected to a Volkswagen Beetle transaxle. The engine is accessed by tilting back the entire rear body section. Air flows from the front-mounted radiator beneath the car, routed through the backbone chassis to the mid-mounted Ford Kent engine.
What it gets right
It gets the weight distribution and compact packaging right: mid-engine layout, sub-730 kg kerb weight, double wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear suspension all serve agility and responsiveness. The backbone chassis carries drivetrain loads directly, reinforcing the car’s purpose-built intent.
What it does not
It does not offer a convertible body: the Fissore version is a fixed-roof coupé, despite earlier prospectus claims of a Spider with weather equipment. It does not carry its own production lineage: only fifteen Fissore cars were built, and the Ghia-run production used fiberglass bodies and moved away from aluminum construction.
What it changed
It established De Tomaso’s mid-engine architecture as viable for road use—later scaled up in the Mangusta—and proved that a rolling chassis built around a mass-market engine and transaxle could underpin an original Italian sports car.
Who it is for, and who it is not
It is for people who study how chassis architecture evolves—not for collectors seeking volume, provenance or usability. It is not for drivers expecting comfort, service support or consistent build quality: many Fissore cars were scrapped unclaimed; later Ghia versions diverged materially.
Is it worth your time
Yes—if you care about how a raw, lightweight mid-engine layout was first realised in road form by De Tomaso. It is not worth your time if you seek refinement, proven durability or documented driving character beyond its mechanical configuration.
