By the time the DeTomaso Pantera was introduced in 1971,
DeTomaso Automobili was already taking steps to flesh
out its model line.
The design house "Ghia" was selected to design
and provide body construction for two new cars, the
Deauville 4-door sedan and the Longchamp 2-door coupe.
Tom Tjaarda was chosen as the lead stylist for both. The Deauville was designed to deliver high-performance
luxury transportation for four.
Tjaarda developed a flowing-yet-muscular
design, handsome from any angle, and retained the inverted
trapezoidal grill concept first seen on the Mangusta.
The chassis, a full monocoque unit, employed fully independent
suspension, the rear system featuring inboard disc brakes
and dual coil-over shock absorber units.
Twin fuel tanks
and twin fuel pumps were fitted, with a dash-mounted switch
and gauge so the driver could select which tank was being
employed.
The first Deauvilles were built in 1972. For power the
Deauville relied on the same 5.7 liter (351 cu. in.) Ford
Cleveland V-8 as employed by the Pantera, rated at 300
horsepower (DIN) and mounted in front for this application.
Backing the engine was a Ford 3-speed automatic transmission;
no manual transmission was offered.
The Deauville is noted not only for its on-road performance,
but its interior comfort.
The comfortable yet supportive
seats could be had in a variety of leather and leather/cloth
combinations, and the dash and door panels were wood trimmed.
Full instrumentation, factory air conditioning, power
window lifts, power steering and a tilt steering wheel
were all standard.
The center console extended into the rear of the passenger
compartment, providing heat and air to the rear occupants.
Approximately 240 were constructed, making it the second-rarest
production DeTomaso (next to the Vallelunga) and the only
4-door sedan built to date by the company.