A new report indicates that BMW is interested in buying DeTomaso, a small Italian manufacturer that has been in and out of bankruptcy since its founder died about a decade ago.
When DeTomaso filed for bankrupty for the last time earlier this year, rumors immediately surfaced that BMW was showing a strong interest in taking over the brand. Â A spokesperson for the German company clearly denied the rumors but the Italian union that represents DeTomaso's now unemployed workforce has confirmed that BMW is still in the game.
"We had confirmation that talks with possible Italian partners and with BMW continue," said Giuseppe Anfuso, the Turin secretary of the UILM trade union, in an interview with Automotive News Europe.
What BMW would do with DeTomaso remains up in the air. Â Anfuso has hinted that the aforementioned Italian partners are more interested in the factory than in the firm itself, leaving BMW with the rights to the DeTomaso name as well as several historic nameplates, including Pantera and Mangusta.
Regardless of who DeTomaso goes to, the Italian government wants to have the brand sold by the middle of next month.
Before going bankrupt DeTomaso was developing a 5-Series GT-esque sedan called Deauville that was intended to spearhead its return to the world stage. Â Due to lack of funds the company sold the design to the Deauville to an unnamed Chinese company late last year.
