De Tomaso Vindicated: Jury Rejects Ex-CEO's Supercar Claims

NEW YORK, NY – February 06, 2026 – Iconic automaker De Tomaso Automobili has won a resounding legal victory against its former Chief Executive Officer, Ryan Berris, in a high-stakes courtroom drama that pitted the revivalist of the brand against its owner. After a six-day federal trial, a New York jury delivered unanimous verdicts in favor of De Tomaso, dismissing a series of explosive allegations made by Berris and finding him liable for breaching his duties to the company.

The verdict brings a decisive end to a bitter dispute that had cast a shadow over the celebrated relaunch of the historic Italian-American marque. The jury systematically rejected Berris’s core claims, including that he was owed an equity stake in the company, millions in compensation, and one of the brand's multi-million-dollar P72 supercars based on an alleged oral agreement.

A Unanimous Verdict Against a Former Chief

The jury’s decision was comprehensive, siding with De Tomaso and its owner, Norman Choi, on all counts. Berris’s 2023 lawsuit alleged he was the driving force behind the brand's revival only to be forced out in a fraudulent scheme. His complaint boldly claimed it would “reverberate loudly across the world of limited edition, exclusive, multi-million-dollar supercars.” While the case did generate headlines, the reverberations concluded with a sound defeat for the former executive.

The jury found no evidence of a breached oral contract for compensation, confirming that Berris held no equity in the company and had no contractual right to the benefits he sought. Furthermore, the jurors rejected Berris's claims that Choi had engaged in any fraudulent, dishonest, or unjust actions. A defamation claim brought by Berris, stemming from company statements that he entered contracts without board approval and was separated for misconduct, was also unanimously rejected.

In a stunning turn, the jury found in favor of De Tomaso’s own counterclaims. Berris was found to have breached his fiduciary duties of both loyalty and care. The jury determined he failed to put the company's interests ahead of his own and acted with “reckless indifference or outside the bounds of reason,” causing substantial harm to the automaker. As a result, the jury awarded unspecified damages to De Tomaso Automobili.

“The jury’s sound and commonsense verdict confirms what De Tomaso has said from day one: Berris’s misconduct seriously harmed the company,” said Paul Werner of Sheppard, lead trial counsel for the automaker. “The verdicts finally set the record straight.”

The Fall of a Revival Architect

Before the lawsuit, Ryan Berris was widely seen as a key figure in the niche world of hypercar brand development. He was instrumental in the relaunch of Apollo Automobil under Norman Choi before taking the helm at De Tomaso after Choi acquired the brand in 2014. Berris was the public face of the revival, credited with conceiving the P72 supercar as a modern homage to the 1965 P70 race car.

Under his leadership, De Tomaso unveiled the P72 at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed to widespread acclaim. He recruited designer Jowyn Wong, secured a partnership with Roush Industries for the supercharged Ford V8 engine, and oversaw the initial marketing push that saw all 72 planned units quickly reserved, reportedly generating $36 million in deposits. His lawsuit painted a picture of an entrepreneur who had deferred millions in salary and poured his life into the brand, only to be betrayed.

However, the trial's outcome reframes that narrative. The jury’s finding that he breached his duty of loyalty and acted unfairly towards the company stands in stark contrast to the image of a dedicated leader. The verdict suggests that behind the public success, Berris’s actions were ultimately detrimental to the very company he claimed to have saved.

Full Throttle Ahead for the P72

With the legal battle in the rearview mirror, De Tomaso can now focus entirely on its primary mission: delivering the highly anticipated P72 to its exclusive list of clients. The legal vindication provides crucial stability and reinforces investor and customer confidence as the company enters the critical production phase.

The De Tomaso P72 is a testament to analogue engineering in a digital age. Limited to just 72 units with a price tag well over $1.5 million, the car eschews modern touchscreens for a meticulously crafted interior of polished copper and diamond-patterned leather, celebrating mechanical artistry. Its heart is a 700-horsepower supercharged 5.0-liter V8 mated to a custom six-speed manual transmission, promising a pure, unfiltered driving experience.

After initial plans for production in the U.S. were revised, De Tomaso has partnered with renowned German engineering firm HWA AG, a company with deep roots in motorsports and Mercedes-Benz performance. Production is now underway at a new facility in Affalterbach, Germany. Trial assembly of the P72 began in late 2024, with series production slated to commence in 2025. The first customer cars are expected to be delivered later this year, finally fulfilling the promise that began in 2019.

For Norman Choi, who successfully revived the Apollo brand before acquiring De Tomaso, this victory is a validation of his vision and corporate governance. The resolution of the dispute clears the track for De Tomaso to cement its legacy, moving beyond courtroom drama and back to the business of building extraordinary machines.