De Tomaso Mangusta Legacy Design Study Inspired by the 1965 Original

The revival of the De Tomaso brand at this year's Geneva Salon with the Deauville showcar inspired design graduate and digital artist Maxime de Keiser to craft a modern interpretation of the original Mangusta from the late 1960s (De Tomaso had revived the name with the production version of the Bigua concept in the early 2000s).

Introduced in 1967, the first Mangusta was designed by the famed Giorgetto Giugiaro, who at the time worked for Turin-based coachbuilder Ghia, and was offered with a choice of Ford-sourced V8 engines. It was replaced by the cheaper to produce Pantera in 1971.

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Geneva 2011: De Tomaso Deauville Sincerely Flatters BMW's 5 GT [with Video]

De Tomaso's return in Geneva makes me ask two questions: 1) Why do companies think cars like this, the recent Lagonda, and Spyker D12 are necessary?, and 2) Who's buying them? According to the Italian company, they've already got a 1,500 unit backlog.

The production ready Deauville concept (previously known by its SLC and later SLS codenames), revives the name De Tomaso placed on its 1970's attempt at a luxury sedan; sadly, instead of an attractive Ghia saloon, this time around the Italian marque decided to emulate BMW's GT and create a Pininfarina-penned crossover.

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De Tomaso Shows More of its New SLS Crossover, Confirms Production for 2011

One of the surprises at this year's edition of the Geneva Motor Show is the resurrection of the De Tomaso brand, which will re-launch with a production ready concept model, set to go on sale in late 2011. The Italian company filed for bankruptcy in 2004, but was brought back to life after Rossignolo former Fiat executive, Gianmario Rossignolo, acquired the brand from a Modena bankruptcy court in November 2009.

The Italian brand's first vehicle was initially codenamed SLC for Sport Luxury Crossover, but in the latest press release, De Tomaso is calling it the SLS, which stands for Sport Luxury Sedan. We know what you're thinking in regards to Mercedes-Benz's Gullwing-door supercar, but De Tomaso was quick to state the vehicle will not be sold as the SLS, with the final production name to be revealed during the Geneve press conference on March 1.

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VIDEO: De Tomaso Resurrected with BMW 5-GT-esque SLC Crossover Concept

We have to admit that, upon learning about former Fiat marketing executive Gian Mario Rossignolo's plans to re-launch the De Tomaso brand with the Pininfarina-penned SLC crossover concept at the upcoming Geneva Show, we were curious to see what the famous Italian design house would come up with.

But our hopes of seeing something truly exciting were thwarted by this here video, which was filmed during a special presentation event held in Rome. No offense to VW Group's Spanish subsidiary, but the SLC crossover looks like a BMW 5-Series GT made by...SEAT.

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De Tomaso Lives! Italian Brand to Re-Launch in Geneva with a Premium Crossover Concept

Just like Pagani, De Tomaso is another Italy-based sports car manufacturer founded by an Argentinean, more exactly by former racing driver Alejandro De Tomaso. Known for its quirky models of the 1960s and 1970s like the Pantera, the company eventually went under the radar and ended up filing for bankruptcy in 2004.

Fortunately, it was bought five years later by ex-Fiat marketing executive and Lancia CEO Gian Mario Rossignolo, who decided to revive the iconic brand. Now, it seems that the Italian businessman’s efforts have come to fruition, as the revitalized automaker is planning to unveil a Pininfarina-designed premium crossover concept at the Geneva Motor Show.

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De Tomaso Ghepardo 4-door coupe rendered by Frederik Tjellesen

This purple-highlighted design study is Frederik Tjellesen's view of what a new vehicle for the on-again / off-again De Tomaso brand could look like if he were to be involved. Named the Ghepardo, it's a four-door coupe that draws from former DeTomaso vehicles like the Pantera and Mangusta, as well as the idea that fine Italian automobiles (burning to the ground or not), need to be custom-tailored much like a suit.

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Qvale Mangusta for Sale on eBay: American Muscle, Italian Design

One of the 270 or so Mangusta sports cars that were produced by Qvale between 2000 and 2002 is up for sale on eBay with the current owner asking $26,500 to depart with it.

The Qvale Mangusta has quite an interesting history behind it involving many different people and companies over the years.

Designed by Marcello Gandini (notice the signature shape of the rear wheel arches), responsible for the styling of many cars including the Lamborghini Miura and Countach, Maserati Quattroporte and the first generation BMW 5er, the 2+2-seater convertible began its life at the 1996 Geneva Motor Show as the De Tomaso Bigua.

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