DeTomaso, Alejandro

▪ 2004

      Argentine industrialist (b. July 10, 1928, Buenos Aires, Arg.—d. May 21, 2003, Modena, Italy), raced cars in Modena before founding (1959) DeTomaso Automobili with his wife, Isabelle Haskell, and producing a line of sports cars and a number of limited-edition cars for public roads during the 1960s, including the Vallelunga, the Mangusta, and the Pantera. The latter was distributed by the Ford Motor Co. in the U.S., but its tendency to rust and overheat coupled with stringent American emission laws soured the partnership. DeTomaso purchased a number of struggling Italian companies, including Benelli motorcycles (1971), Moto Guzzi (1972), Maserati (1975; sold to Fiat in 1990), and Innocenti (1976). A 1993 stroke sidelined him from the business, but his wife and son continued to run the company.

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