Italian sports car manufacturer ATS (Automobili Turismo e Sport), founded by three former Ferrari F1 team technicians in 1962, is up for sale. Revived in 2012 by Italian designer and businessman Gianluca Gegis, ATS started producing two remakes of the original ATS cars from the 1960s: the ATS Sport 1000 and the ATS 2500 GT.
In a press release sent earlier to us, ATS has announced that the brand is for sale with all the car project assets. No details were offered about the asking price nor about the reason of the sale. However, since Gregis launched a namesake company in late 2014, it’s safe to say he will focus on that one.
Besides the ATS brand, owner Gianluca Gegis also holds the rights for all the car project assets, which include the ATS Sport 2015 and the ATS Sport 490 Stradale. Launched in October last year, the Sport 490 Stradale is built for road use, but is very similar to the full race version presented in early 2014. It features adjustments on suspension and a mechanical reverse gear with LSD, among other things.
Powered by a 1.4-liter Extreme engine producing 235hp at 10,000 rpm, the ATS Sport 490 Stradale is similar to the race version, carrying only 35 extra kg, with a total curb weight of around 500 kg (1,102 lbs). The car sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 3 seconds and touches over 230 km/h (143 mph).
So, is there anyone interested in trying to emulate Enzo Ferrari and have his or her own sports car company?
Update: There seems to be a twist to this story as there are currently two ATS companies using the same logo and designs. You can read more about that here.