1984 De Tomaso Longchamp Series 2 GTSE Spyder

Nova has been received

A late Series 2 "GTSE", RHD Spyder (one of three only)

In excellent condition having covered only 43,000 km (26,800 miles)

Only three owners from new with an extensive history file. Lots of period original documents

Italian styling with American horsepower. A fast and comfortable tourer with a certain cachet

Unveiled at the 1972 Turin Salon, the De Tomaso Longchamp utilised a shortened version of the company's existing Deauville saloon platform; the two siblings thus sharing the same all-round independent suspension, power assisted rack and pinion steering and four-wheel disc brakes. Styled by Tom Tjaarda under Ghia, the 2+2 seater Coupe boasted a 140mph plus top speed thanks to its Ford-sourced Cleveland 5.8-litre V8 engine. Introduced at the 1980 Turin Salon, the revised Series 2 range heralded the addition of Cabriolet and high-performance GTS derivatives (the latter sporting a wider track and flared wheel arches). Although most buyers opted for automatic transmission, circa 17 of the 409 Longchamps reputedly made (395 Coupes, 14 Spiders) featured manual gearboxes. Last of the line, the rare GTSE model sported black detailing to its grille, rear spoiler, window surrounds, wing vents and bumpers etc not to mention a 5.8-litre 4V High Output powerplant.

Chassis 3211, is a very late Series 2 "GTSE" and an extremely rare RHD Spyder example ( one out of three only). The GTS featured wider wheels ( 8 inches in front and 10 inches at the rear) and flared wheel arches, along with suspension setting differences to better utilise the wider (and extremely rare ) Campagnolo Alloy Wheels which were used on the Pantera GTS and on the GR3 race cars. Only three cars are reported to be original Cabrio right-hand drive GTSEs, one in the UK, one in Australia and now, one in Belgium, since VIN 3211( supplied new in Australia in 1982) has now been imported from Melbourne to Brussels. The car has only covered 42,300km (26,500miles) in 35 years, with just three owners and has spent the majority of its life in a very dry climate. The original engine, a Ford V8 Cleveland 351C with a 351cubic inch displacement, has been professionally rebuilt in Australia and slightly upgraded to a higher power output (estimated to 420 HP) This makes the car very powerful, torquey, and pretty nimble for a big and comfortable cabriolet. The 3-speed automatic Ford gearbox is a perfect fit for this torque-rich unit and makes for smooth progress.

In lovely condition throughout, with very low mileage and enormously rare, particularly in right-hand drive, this striking car is a fast and comfortable tourer and it's rather unlikely that you will see another one.