At the risk of beating a horse that has long since ceased to breathe, I decided to start a new topic to try to constructively explain why the DeTomaso name still has a value under the correct set of circumstances.
I think we all now accept that the DeTomaso company as we knew it is finished. No more cars will ever be manufactured by the present owners. They don't have any secret technology that they could sell to a competitor. The factory is worth whatever a similarly sized factory in Modena is worth but no more. Their staff has all pretty much left. But they do still have something of value that they could sell, and that is history.
A few months back, TVR was sold to a 24-year old Russian multi-zillionaire. There were several interested parties, but in the end he was the high bidder and is the new owner. So let's say that I am one of the other parties who was interested in purchasing TVR but was outbid. I've got some cash in my pocket and would really like to build a sports car. What to do?
I could start my own company from scratch. I'll call it "Charlie's Cars". I'll recruit some good engineers, design a great product, maybe have Tom Tjaarda design it (although I could even introduce my own design) and release it to the public. The problem is that nobody has heard of "Charlie's Cars". It has no history. No name recognition. The name will go in one ear and out the other, because it doesn't mean anything to anyone. This can be done against the odds - Lee Noble and Horacio Pagani have proved that it can be done - but it is a handicap to have to begin from scratch.
The other option is to buy yourself a history. A history that has competed in Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, and Le Mans. Sure, it is cheating to "buy history", but it doesn't matter. You negotiate to use the DeTomaso name. Which sounds better on the cover of Motor Trend - "Against all odds, DeTomaso rises from the ashes thanks to new investment and launches a new Pantera" or "three dudes from south London decide to build a new car"? By buying the DeTomaso name, people have something to grasp onto. The press can publish pictures of Mangustas and Panteras, and present the new product as the successor. Of course the new company doesn't have anything whatsoever in common with the old one, but Joe Public doesn't know that and he doesn't care.
This has been done time and time again. The British motorcycle manufacturer Triumph closed its doors in the early 80s. 15 years later, a group of investors decided to resurrect the Triumph name rather than start from scratch. None of the engineers or management were the same, but it gave the new company name recognition. By using styling cues of the classic Triumphs, they tied the new company to the old very nicely. They bought themselves a history, they bought themselves name recognition.
Bugatti had been dead for decades before it was brought back. American manufacturers resurrect old products (Pontiac GTO) to give them some name recognition instead of inventing a new line.
How much is this worth in money? I have absolutely no idea. The DeTomaso commercial name isn't worth anything to the DeTomaso family if they don't plan to build anything. It would be worth something to some investors who want to build a car, but it sure wouldn't be worth millions.
If any cars are to be built in the future with the DeTomaso name, this is about the only way it can happen. Everyone wins. The Marque survives, and with proper investment and motivation could even thrive. The new company is complete unrelated to the old, we all know that, but it doesn't really matter. As long as they produce exciting products that are competitive, they should do well. Lamborghini has changed hands numerous times and that hasn't meant that new Lambos are any less "Lamborghini".
Was there really a British group looking to buy the DeTomaso name? It is at least feasible, and it would be a reasonable thing to do if they are considering entering the market. In the meantime, the DeTomaso name will remain dormant, waiting to be rescued by some knight in shining armor, riding in on their 351... Any volunteers?
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