Alejandro de Tomaso (10 July 1928 in Buenos Aires – 21 May 2003 in Modena, Italy) was a racing driver and businessman from Argentina. His name is sometimes seen in an Italianised form as Alessandro de Tomaso.
He participated in two Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 13 January 1957. He scored no championship points. He later founded the Italian sports car company De Tomaso Automobili in 1959. Info from Wiki
The grandson of an Italian immigrant, Alejandro de Tomaso fled to Italy from Argentina in 1955 after he was implicated in the plot to overthrow Juan Perón.
He settled in Modena and would compete in 2 Formula One World Championship races:
– 1957 Argentine Grand Prix – Finished 9th in a Ferrari 500 driving for Scuderia Centro Sud.
– 1959 United States Grand Prix – DNF in a Cooper T43 driving for Automobili O.S.C.A.
More importantly, de Tomaso would establish the marque that bears his name, creating the mid-engine sportscars, Pantera, Mangusta, and Vallelunga, along with the Deauville sedan and Longchamp coupe.
de Tomaso suffered a stroke in 1993 and passed day-to-day operations of his company to his son Santiago. He died in Italy in 2003.
Peter Kroth
