Originally founded in 1959, De Tomaso shut its doors back in 2015 when it ultimately filed for bankruptcy after years of financial neglect. No one was interested in coming to its rescue, though there were some rumors in 2012 claiming Lancia's former boss was interested in reviving the brand. The remnants of the company were eventually sold to a Chinese company for around $1.2 million. Nothing came of that and we haven't heard any updates since.

We figured, as did just about everyone else, that De Tomaso was gone permanently. Today, however, Jalopnik has learned of something kind of interesting: its name has been registered at the UK Intellectual Property Office.

The new trademarked was filed in July and was registered on October 19. Even the brand's logo has been slightly updated. The registration includes six classes of items, including motor vehicles (such as sports cars, racing cars, and motorcycles), leather and imitation leather (presumably for trunks and other accessories), clothing, games, business management, and repair and maintenance of motor vehicles and parts (including engines).

Based on that alone it sure sounds like the beginnings of a car company. The owner of the company's name is De Tomaso Automobili Limited, and the company address also just so happens to match that of a law firm, K&L Gates, which doubles as its IPO representative.

Is it possible that the Chinese company is finally making a move? Or, did it sell the De Tomaso rights to someone else and they're the ones filing the trademarks for vehicles and various lifestyle items? As of this writing we simply don't have an answer. It would be great to see a reborn De Tomaso Pantera or Mangusta roaming the roads once again. Of particular interest is what would power a potential reborn Pantera, De Tomaso's most successful model?

Remember, the original Pantera featured a Ford-sourced 5.8-liter Cleveland V8. Could, for example, Ford's turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost, which powers both the Focus RS and Mustang EcoBoost, find its way in a new De Tomaso? Who knows and we're obviously just speculating here. We'll keep you posted if any additional updates become available.