1973 De Tomaso Deauville

The De Tomaso Deauville is a four-door luxury sedan that originally debuted at the 1970 Turin Motor Show. The 353 cu in, Ford Cleveland V8 found under the hood is the same V8 used in the iconic De Tomaso Pantera. Both engines were rated at 330hp, and that powerful V8 gave the Deauville a top speed of 143 mph. Other notable features under the car include independent rear suspension, as well as ventilated discs. A grand total of 244 Deauvilles were produced between 1971 and 1985. One Deauville station wagon was constructed for Mrs. de Tomaso, and two armored Deauvilles were created for the Belgian Royal Family and the other for the Italian government.

The exterior to this Deauville was done in a very light shade of metallic gold. For the most part, the paint has been very well preserved. The paint appears to be evenly applied around the entire car, and things only start to get rough towards the bottom. As good as the paint may appear, we must point out the bubbling issues. On both sides of the car, the lower you look the more bubbling that begins to appear. The driver’s side is easier to overlook because none of the paint bubbles have compromised the paint yet, on the passenger side, the bubbles have forced some of the paint to chip off entirely. The roof also has its own issue. A portion of the clear coat on the roof above the driver’s side of the car seems to have failed. There are several large spots on the roof that will likely need to be repainted. Glass around the car is clear and free of any major chips or cracks. The chrome front and rear bumpers are straight and free of wrinkles. The yellow fog lights mounted beneath the front bumper are a nice addition that give the car an athletic appearance, but they don’t seem to be hanging perfectly straight. The metal rims are clean and show no curb rash whatsoever. Overall, once the bubbling issues are dealt with and the roof gets repainted, this De Tomaso will be ready for action.

This Deauville’s interior is actually quite solid. Elements inside are slightly weathered, but nothing appears to be aggressively damaged. The two-tone gold and white leather seats would benefit greatly from a deep cleaning, but neither seat shows any holes or tears. The carpets are tidy and lay totally flat in their respective positions. The black leather dash pad shows no damage, and the same goes for the dashboard. The wood trim on the passenger half shows no chips or cracks, and the gauges on the driver’s side are all clean and easily readable. The wooden rimmed steering wheel doesn’t match the wood on the dashboard particularly well, but regardless, it shows no major damage. The door panels have all been brilliantly preserved; it seems that all 4 panels have been given a protective layer of plastic. The wood, leather, and carpet on each panel appears to be in excellent condition thanks to these measures being taken. The pale-yellow headliner has some minor stains, but it still hangs tightly in place and shows no holes or tears. The backseat is for the most part in line with the front. It could use some deep cleaning but again, nothing shows any major damage.

We are pleased to report that this Deauville has a clean undercarriage. The frame and floorboards appear solid, the suspension components are all in order, and the exhaust shows discoloration that is understandable given the age of the car. Under the hood, we see most of these trends continue. The engine bay is fantastically clean, there is no major chipping around the edges, and all of the components appear to be in their proper locations.

Based on the documents available to us, we believe the seller acquired this De Tomaso Deauville in February of 2013.

The De Tomaso Deauville is a highly obscure Italian classic. Then again, with only 244 units produced, how was anyone supposed to know they existed? The car sports a proper, 3-box design that fits the car just as nicely as an Italian 3-piece suit. Combine that with a lightweight body and a huge American V8, and you get one seriously good time. This specific example needs a bit of work around the outside, but no major work appears necessary. This leaves us feeling quite confident this little sedan will reach its $15,000 - $20,000 estimate.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL BIDDERS

It should be noted that this vehicle has been on static display for a number of years and there is no history available beyond that displayed in our photography section.

We have not started or driven the car so cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality. It will require recommissioning prior to road use and is sold ‘as seen’.

Please note that the title for this vehicle is in transit.