De Tomaso P72 — When Color Becomes Part of the Form

 The De Tomaso P72 is one of those rare cars whose shape already feels complete. Its original silver finish does exactly what a great neutral color should do: it allows light to describe the body.

I did not want to redesign that shape. I wanted to test a different emotional reading of it.

The result is a deep Bordeaux with subtle purple reflections, as if a discreet violet light were moving across the bodywork. The wheels were changed to silver deliberately, so the Bordeaux-Porpora body color could breathe without competing with another strong chromatic element.

The goal was not to create a louder P72, but a more mysterious one.

The original version reads almost like polished sculpture - pure, luminous, technical.

The Bordeaux-Porpora interpretation feels warmer, deeper and more sensual, while preserving the same sculptural character.

I had not started from an existing automotive color reference. The combination emerged from the form itself. Similar burgundy and purple automotive finishes certainly exist, so this is not a claim of absolute novelty. It is simply an independently developed color study that, to my eye, belongs naturally to the P72.

The form came first. The color followed.

Unofficial visual study. Not affiliated with or endorsed by De Tomaso.

Giorgio Roth / 2026

Source: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1364290205628168

AI-assisted visual study generated with ChatGPT.

Atmospheric visualization of the Bordeaux-Porpora study.