Reply to "Longchamp GTSE Spider"

I gather that Ric Lee still owns the GTSE in question albeit the car was nominally for sale a while ago so I was told. I heard it mentioned the figure being sought was £70k but have no idea how true that is.

I think the GTSE came as a result of De Tomaso using some remaining Longchamp shells they had left at the factory after production officially ceased in 1985.

From recollection you had to first but a GTSE and then have it sent to Pavesi sp. who would then relieve you of a huge amount of money (again from recollection about £20k) and turn it into a convertible.

In the most recent DTDC (British owners club) there was an article on the red hardtop GTSE found elsewhere on this board.

One interesting point to note with the GTSE is that certainly at least one of them had an Australian sourced cast iron Nascar block. Apparently the Longchamp couldn’t take a Windsor due to the heads and exhaust manifolds being at a different angle which would have meant a major revamp of the engine bay.

I gather this alone makes the engine quite a valuable proposition being able to rev to 8000 with the all the associated tuning benefit that it offers. No doubt the American contingent will know much more about this than somebody brought up on Ford X Flows!!

I’ve got a copy of the magazine in question, May / June 1989 edition of World Sprtscars which is now long gone.