40 Years of  De Tomaso Celebration

A special event organized by Mr. Axel Kuhn, a Pantera International member. The event was conducted at the famous Nurburgring racetrack in Germany. Photographs and text by Mr. Axel Kuhn. Full story and more photographs appear in the Summer 1999 issue of Pantera International

There were 50 De Tomaso automobiles at the meeting.

Factory representatives brought over this chrome yellow Mangusta Prototype for the Celebration

Hans Nettekoven and his wife drove the Guara Spider prototype which was bought in by truck from Switzerland to Germany. Mr. Manfred Lang, who designed the car for De Tomaso, arranged this transport.

Mr. Axel Kuhn describes each De Tomaso Automobile to the audience. Mr. Marco Bianchi of  Italy is the owner of this Concours Pantera GTS

18.06. – 21.06.99

Friday 18.06.99

2 PM

The president of the De Tomaso Club Switzerland Rene Killer and his girlfriend Gabi Eggiman and the organizer of this event, Axel Kühn and his wife Andrea are preparing the gifts for the participants of this event.There are T-Shirts, programs, buttons, emblems, stickers and many other things specially prepared for this De Tomaso party.

The first De Tomasos arrived in Daun at the Dorint Hotel, 20 Km of the Nürburgring. Marco Bianchi and his wife came from Mailand/ Italy with a wonderful silver/ black Pantera GTS, Mat Heffels from Holland came in a beautiful restored Deauville and Hans Nettekoven and his wife drove the Guara Spider prototype which was bought in last night by truck from Switzerland to Germany. Mr. Manfred Lang, who designed the car for De Tomaso, arranged this transport.

At 8 PM more than 40 De Tomaso cars and others arrived at the hotel. Also a team from De Tomaso LTD. comes with a new prepared Mangusta prototype in yellow. On Saturday morning the program starts. All Participants drove to the Nürburgring, where at the track, a special parking area with meeting-point was reserved.

The visitors of the Oldtimer Festival saw different Longchamps, many Panteras including a Pantera GTS Targa and a Pantera SI, Deauvilles and the Guara Spider and new Mangusta. At 2 PM. The De Tomaso Corso left the Nürburgring and started a sightseeing-trip to a factory for bell-founders and to Manderscheid, where a leader showed an old castle. In both stations the participants were welcomed by the Mayor or owner of the factory. Many spectators pulled their cars over on the side to observe this car-attraction.

At 6 PM the convoy arrived back at the hotel. In the night program the participants could buy De Tomaso model cars or tickets for a tombola. This tombola (raffle) included nice prizes. The money was for indigent children. The members of the De Tomaso Club Switzerland and friends and the sponsor, HAITEC-systemhouse of Munich/Germany collected DM 7.200,-- ($ 4.300.00).

During this night 8 officials from the De Tomaso factory arrived with a Guara Coupe in red, which was displayed for all visitors of the Nürburgring on Sunday.

Sunday

New participants arrived at the De Tomaso Meeting point, an old Mangusta in silver, the last built Longchamp GTS '94 and a Longchamp Spider – all together now over 50 cars. Many Participants used the chance to drive with their car over the old Nürburgring-race, which has 22,8 kilometer and many difficult curves. Some prize-winners of the tombola had the opportunity to take a round with the Nürburgring-taxi, a new BMW M5. The driver of the car, Mr. Martini went over 8000 rounds (laps) along this race and needs only 8 to 9 minutes to travel it.

At 12 AM a presentation of special oldtimers starts at the new Nürburging-race. 7 cars of the De Tomaso celebration enriched this corso. Axel Kühn made an introduction by microphone and informed the visitors about the specifications of the De Tomaso cars. The cars were a Longchamp GTS, a Longchamp Spider, a Deauville, a Pantera, a Pantera GT5, a Pantera GTS and the Guara Spyder. Before the corso started, Mr. Rene Killer gave the check of DM 7.200,-- to Ms. Hofmeister, a representative of the organization for indigent children.

After this program-point all corso-participants started a trip over the new and old Nürburgring-race. Many spectators along the race were very pleased to see these De Tomaso cars. At 3 PM. The De Tomaso group left the race for a special trip to Blankenheim, where all of us took the last photos of all these well prepared De Tomaso cars.

On Sunday night a gala-dinner in the hotel concluded this event. We met many new friends, saw very nice cars and were all very happy during this time.

Thank you to all of the people who attended, especially the President of the De Tomaso club Switzerland, Rene Killer, and to Roland Jäckel, Germany, who helped to organize this event.

Axel Kühn

If you enjoy reading about De Tomaso events from all over the world, isn't it time you became a member of the largest, biggest and oldest International De Tomaso organization? Click here for more information on becoming a member. (Ownership of a De Tomaso automobile is not required.)

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