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A rare De Tomaso P70, a mid-1960s prototype that marked the end of Carroll Shelby’s collaboration with Argentine-born industrialist Alejandro de Tomaso, has resurfaced after decades in obscurity and is set to cross the auction block.
Originally conceived to compete in the burgeoning Can-Am series, the P70 brought together an all-star team: Shelby, fresh off his Le Mans triumphs with Ford, Italian chassis builder De Tomaso, and designer Peter Brock, who had shaped the Daytona Coupe. The goal was nothing less than to challenge the dominant McLarens of the era with an American V8-powered machine wrapped in sleek Italian bodywork.
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The partnership quickly soured. Differences over engineering decisions and clashing personalities led Shelby to withdraw from the project before the car ever raced. The rift ended any chance of the P70 becoming a competitive force and left just a single example completed. Brock’s dramatic design did not go to waste, however — elements of it would later influence the De Tomaso Mangusta, a production sports car some saw as De Tomaso’s personal riposte to Shelby’s exit.
For decades, the lone P70 remained largely out of public view. Recently restored to its original specification, the car retains its aluminum bodywork, mid-mounted Ford V8, and Brock’s distinctive aerodynamic profile. Its return has rekindled interest in a little-known chapter of American motorsport history, when Shelby’s competitive ambitions extended beyond Cobras and GT40s.
Auction specialists expect strong bidding, driven both by the P70’s unique place in racing lore and by its rarity. It stands as a tangible reminder of what might have been — a bold experiment that, instead of rewriting record books, became a symbol of an ambitious partnership cut short.
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