De Tomaso Automobili is an automaker with a strong Italian heritage, but it also carries historical ties with Ford, giving it a connection to the United States. Over a year ago, De Tomaso announced a new retro-inspired supercar called the P72, an homage to the P70 prototype of the 1960s that rides on the same platform as the Apollo Automobil Intensa Emozione but looks completely different.

Like De Tomaso cars of the past, the P72 gets power from a Ford-sourced 5.0-liter V8, only this one is tuned and supercharged by Roush for good measure. 700 horsepower and 608 lb-ft of torque are sent to the rear wheels through a manual transmission, but it won't be the only red, white, and blue element of the car. That's because the De Tomaso P72 will actually be built in the good ol' US of A.

This comes after the Italian automaker announced further details of its Mission AAR Initiative, which stands for the American Automotive Renaissance. We previously predicted this could be a customization program for the P72, but it actually focuses on the company's recommitment to the luxury American automotive industry.

De Tomaso describes Mission AAR as a "long-term, multi-stage, strategic initiative" that will restore the US to its "glory days of automotive design and preeminence." The first phase of Mission AAR involves moving core operations to the US, including the production of the new P72. Discussions to find a location to build the car have already begun and a formal announcement should come in the next six months. Production is scheduled to being in the fourth quarter of 2022 with pricing expected to be around $850,000.

"De Tomaso has always been a unique Italian-Argentine-American automotive brand known for iconic design and bold initiatives while inspiring innovation. Our love of automotive history and of the glory days of American automotive design and provenance is what drives us to take on this effort and make it our mission," said Ryan Berris, CEO/CMO of De Tomaso Automobili.

"Why is it that the majority of luxury, designer goods that Americans and the world strive to own come from Europe? Why not America? People often talk about the offshoring of American jobs, but no one talks about the offshoring of American dreams and desires, which has led to many Americans aspiring to one day own a European vehicle. Building our P72 in America is the next great step in our history and one we are eager to undertake. We will reignite the romance, beauty, passion, and elegance of luxury American automobiles," he added.