The stunning one-off De Tomaso that’s set to make big bucks in the States

How’s this for an automotive dream team? Carroll Shelby, Alejandro de Tomaso, Peter Brock and Medardo Fantuzzi.

That was the quartet that came together exactly 60 years ago to develop a car for Shelby that would compete with Bruce McLaren’s creations in the pending Can-Am series, which replaced the short-lived US Road Racing Championship (USRRC) .

The result was the spectacular De Tomaso P70, with low-profile bodywork penned by Corvette Stingray and Shelby Daytona Coupé designer Brock and formed by Carrozzeria specialist Fantuzzi over the top of  de Tomaso’s central-spine chassis from the Vallelunga road car.

The wind-cheating, aluminium body made the most of Can-Am’s relaxed rule book with features such as a shallow, integrated windscreen and a rear aerofoil that could be adjusted for maximum downforce at speed.

But despite its appealing aesthetics and obvious potential, the P70 proved to be a still-born project that took to the track but once as a sports prototype.

In the face of Ford’s refusal to supply a big-block engine, Shelby had planned to enlarge a 289 but withdrew from the P70 project to focus on his GT40 programme – meaning the car was left unsuitable for the Can-Am series for which it was originally conceived.

As a result, de Tomaso re-badged the car as a ‘Ghia de Tomaso Sport 5000’ and displayed it at the 1965 Turin show, following which it was entered into the 1966 Mugello Grand Prix but retired on lap one.

It subsequently sat forgotten in a corner of the factory until de Tomaso’s death in 2004, after which it was sold twice before being acquired by the current vendor who, in 2013, had it comprehensively restored using many original parts.

1965 de Tomaso P70
On sale with RM Sotheby’s, Monterey, US, August 15. Estimate: £550,000-£730,000. rmsothebys.com