The crossover project is the first of three cars that Italian entrepreneur Gianmario Rossignolo hopes to build in conjunction with Pininfarina, the Turin design and engineering firm having penned the SUV-style car, while he has also secured the use of its idled contract manufacturing plant in Grugliasco, which, in a somewhat complex deal, was bought by the Piedmont Region’s agency FinPiemonte-Partecipazioni from the ailing design firm, and then rented back to Rossignolo via Pininfarina.

Rossignolo, who was CEO of Lancia during a very successful period from 1977 to 1979, confirmed today his highly ambitious targets of 3,000 units per year, but it is really the styling that has shocked the media ever since photos of its private presentation in Rome a few days ago spread across the internet. The exterior styling looks to be somewhat uninspiring while the interior appears to have been lifted straight out of Cadillac's SRX crossover, itself a not particularly well regarded car. Even the steering wheel centre finisher hasn't been touched: a DeTomaso badge has been clumsily slotted into the round aperture usually reserved for the Cadillac emblem.

The SLC could turn out to be little more than a poorly reskinned SRX. However the press release sent out this evening alludes to the new aluminium space frame technology that Rossignolo has developed, dubbed 'Univis', and the statement adds: "Univis requires just about 30 dies to build a vehicle." Univis technology was first used by Rayton-Fissore in the design of the Magnum SUV which debuted at the Turin Motor Show in 1985. That vehicle, which became the Laforza before going on sale in the U.S., was produced in small numbers up the early part of the last decade. The Laforza was based on an Iveco military jeep and used the Univis system to create a new tubular fame, which also added strength, fixed to the chassis via more than a dozen rubber mountings. In a twist to history the Magnum SUV was actually penned by legendary DeTomaso designer Tom Tjaada.

Curiously DeTomaso has dubbed the concept as the SLC, which it says stands for 'Sport Luxury Car', although the press release confirms that the name will be changed prior to production, not least, one assumes, as Mercedes-Benz's lawyers are likely to come knocking.

Originally 80-year-old Rossignolo, who also rescued Italian white goods giant Zanussi from financial disaster and served for a year as CEO of Telecom Italia during a long and impressive business career, had said the car would be called Tosca, after the famous opera by Giacomo Puccini.DeTomaso also says that full technical details of the SLC will be announced next Friday (February 25).

The statement issued by DeTomaso this evening doesn't fill in any blanks, the information is already in the public domain; however it reads: "During the next Geneva Auto Show (1st March 2011) will be unveiled the new DeTomaso Car. The new DeTomaso company, chaired by Mr. Gianmario Rossignolo, will unveil a Pininfarina-designed concept for a premium large crossover, dubbed SLC (sport luxury car).

"The four-wheel-drive SLC is set to go into production this year using two gasoline engines, a 500-hp V-8 and a 300-hp V-6. It will not be sold as the SLC, but the final name has not been decided.

"Rossignolo plans to build 3,000 units a year of the SLC, as well as 3,000 limousines and 2,000 coupes. The cars will be built at De Tomaso Automobili S.p.A. plant, a former Pininfarina S.p.A. factory near Turin and in the Livorno factory by the ex-Delphi workers.

"De Tomaso's business plan foresees for a three-model range of aluminum vehicles based on an innovative construction technology called Univis. Univis requires just about 30 dies to build a vehicle. During a 22-year career with Fiat group, Gianmario Rossignolo was a top marketing executive at the company and CEO of the Italian automaker's Lancia brand from 1977 to 1979.