1970 DeTomaso Mangusta GT

The Mangusta was among the very first supercars created, and it helped established De Tomaso as a serious automobile manufacturer on its arrival in 1967. It was the work of Alejandro De Tomaso, whose background included racing in his native Argentina in 1951 before moving to Italy to drive for Maserati and OSCA (a company that had been founded by the Maserati brothers). This experience led him to the formation of his own company - De Tomaso Automobili, in Modena, Italy in 1959. The company built cars for Formula Junior, Formula 3, Formula 2, and Formula 1. The first road-going DeTomaso was the Vallelunga which first appeared in 1965. It was a mid-engine coupe powered by a Ford 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine. The Vallelunga was not a sales success and built in a limited number. The short-wheelbase, backbone chassis did provide the basis for the Mangusta (albeit after having been re-engineered).

The Mangusta (meaning mongoose - the only animal that does not fear a Cobra) was introduced in 1967 and came powered by a mid-mounted 289 cubic-inch Ford V8 engine. This was the same engine that had been used to power Ford's GT40 LeMans challenger. The engine in the Mangusta offered just over 300 horsepower and included the GT40's early-type ZF transaxle. Later versions of the Mangusta were powered by the Ford 302 cubic-inch 220 horsepower engine and a later ZF transmission.

The De Tomaso Mangusta was developed from a Ghia concept at the 1966 Torino Auto Show. The styling and coachwork for the Mangusta was courtesy of Carrozzeria Ghia's Giorgetto Giugiaro (who was also responsible for the design of the Vallelunga). The exotic design had gull-wing-style engine covers, which had been intended for Giotto Bizzarrini. The design was inspired by many prior Giugiaro's designs that included the Maserati Ghibli, Iso Grifo, Ferrari 250 Berlinetta Bertone, and Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT. It also closely followed Eric Broadley's Lola Mk VI design, which was modified to become the Ford GT 40. It was a styling exercise that was somewhere between Marcello Gandini's Lamborghini Miura and Tom Tjaarda's Pantera. The potent engine and aerodynamic design gave the Mangusta a top speed of around 155 mph. Disc brakes at all four corners provided the stopping power.

Between 1967 and 1972, a total of 401 examples were built.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe

Argentinean-born exoticar maker Alejandro DeTomaso established DeTomaso Automobili near Modena, Italian in 1959. His first production car, the 1965 Ghia-designed four-cylinder Vallelunga, boasted a lightweight central 'spine' chassis and mid-engine placement modeled after his open-wheel race cars.

Fifty production Vallelungas were built before the Giugiaro-styled Mangusta, with an interior designed by Tom Tjaarda, replaced it for 1967. A clue to this car's intended market mission is the fact that it's name is Italian for Mongoose, an animal known for its Cobra-killing skills. The Mangusta sat on a larger version of DeTomaso's backbone chassis with Can-Am racer-like suspension and was powered by mid-mounted Ford V8 engine of 289 cubic-inch (4.7-liters) for the European market or 302 cubic-inch (4.0-liters) for export to North America. Total production between 1967 and 1971 was 401, of which 250 were sold to US customers, at a list price of $10,000.

According to its current owner, this car was once owned by a General Motors clay model staff leader and was studied by Chevrolet and GM Engineers as well as GM Design during the time when they were seriously exploring the idea of building mid-engine Corvettes.

Coupe
Chassis number: 8MA1118

Alejandro de Tomaso, born in Argentina, produced his first car in 1963, the Vallelunga. It was a mid-engine, coupe wearing coachwork by Ghia and powered by a Ford engine. In total, there were about 52 examples produced. A few years later, in 1967, de Tomaso developed the Vallelunga into the Ford V8-powered Mangusta, helped by Carroll Shelby. The design was courtesy of Giorgio Giugiaro and bodies built by Ghia. The Mangusta followed the concept of Eric Broadley's Lola MK6, which would evolve into the legendary Ford GT40.

The Mangusta was powered by a Ford engine placed mid-ship, with a rear transaxle and a backbone chassis. The 302 cubic-inch Ford V8 engine is visible under two almost horizontal clamshell rear windows and delivers 230 horsepower. The car can race from zero-to-sixty in 6.3 seconds and through a quarter-mile in 15 seconds. The top speed is 155 mph.

This example is finished in red and has a black leather interior. It has been carefully maintained in a climate-controlled garage in Hawaii. It is one of only about 400 Mangustas built between 1967 and 1971.

In 2010, the car was offered for sale at the Sports & Classics of Monterey presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $90,000 - $120,000 and offered without reserve. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $110,000 inclusive of buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe

The Mangusta was produced from 1967 to 1971. It had a mid-engine design with the engine mounted ahead of the rear axles behind the driver. During the time of production, 401 examples were built with about two-thirds of them being sent to the United States. About 250 are known to still exist. The early cars were powered by a high-performance Ford 289 cubic-inch V8 and the later cars all had Ford 302 cubic-inch engines. One car was built with a Chevrolet engine for GM Vice President of Design, Bill Mitchell.

The current owner found this car in Michigan in surprisingly good condition and restored it using most of its original components, including engine.

Coupe
Chassis number: 8MA-1132

Italian for Mongoose, the not-so-subtle name Mangusta was derived from a failed deal between DeTomaso and Shelby to produce racing cars. The DeTomaso Mangusta is a mix of Italian styling with American muscle. The Mangusta featured a mid-mounted Ford 302 cubic-inch V8 mated to a 5-speed ZF transaxle. Designed by Ghia, the low, smooth body with a distinct clam-shell rear hood was striking for the time. With only 401 produced between 1967 and 1971, the Mangusta has become highly collectible.

This Mangusta 8MA-1132 was originally sold out of Bristol, Tennessee. Shortly after the car was purchased, it sustained damage when it was hit by a semi near Atlanta. The car was soon bought by the current owner and shipped up to Southwestern Ohio, where it sat on a towing lot for years. This Mangusta has rarely been driven and has less than 7,000 miles on the odometer.

First shown in 1966, the production of Mangusta started the following year, reaching the number of 402 vehicles manufactured and thus representing the final step of De Tomaso towards the world of high-performance cars (a well-known category in Modena). In 1967 the take-over of Ghia was determining, and prototype 70P became Mangusta. This name is strictly related to that of the contender Ford Cobra since Mangusta is the only animal feared by the cobra.

Equipped with a backbone chassis, a 4729 cc engine - 250 km/h max speed -, Mangusta underwent several changes before the production began. However, Giugiaro's basic layout was maintained. According to the sporting soul of the car, the design was extreme, probably at the expense of the vehicle habitability. Very soon Alejandro De Tomaso realized that Mangusta was the right product to be sold in the United States; as a matter of fact, 250 cars were purchased by American customers. There are two models of De Tomaso Mangusta.

The first is a spider, which throughout many changes due to the owners' wishes has been finally brought back to its original design. 'Raped' by these modifications, the car could hardly be recognized, but its original features were successfully recovered in Modena plant. The second, a unique vehicle as the first model, is a hard-top spider owned by a Greek fan. All Mangusta cars were equipped with Ford engines, except this one ordered by the GM vice-president William L. Mitchell, who sent a Chevrolet engine to Modena. Unfortunately, it was lacking some pieces.

Sent back to Detroit, Mangusta could run thanks to American mechanics' work. All the same, Mitchell could not drive his admired car, as the seat was too small for him (his face was pressed against the driving mirror!). However, this problem did not put an end to the love for such a car, which nowadays is still being studied in General Motors. Manufactured until 1971, Mangusta leveled the ground to Pantera.

by DeTomaso Modena S.p.A.

by DeTomaso

Alejandro de Tomaso had many avocations before his career in the automotive world. He was born in Argentina in 1928. His mother family had been wealthy Argentine cattle farmers and his father had immigrated from Italy. By age 15 Alejandro left school to pursue the cattle business. Within a few years he was running the family business and racing on the side. He also provided financial support to an underground newspaper that opposed the president at the time, Juan Peron. His support forced him to flew to Italy to escape political prosecution. While in Italy he began working for Maserati as a mechanic and later became a racer car driver. His passion for racing led him to his wife, a wealthy American lady who was also a race car driver. Within a few years, backed by two prominent families, Alejandro formed his own company, the De Tomaso Automobili. The company focused on building mostly racers which utilized mid-engined placement. His success in racing attracted Ford, who were seating for suitable candidates to utilize their engines. With the design expertise of Ghia and Vignale, Alegandro began producing production vehicles. The first attempt was not as successful as hoped. It was the Vallelunga which was powered by a Ford Cortina engine which produced 100 horsepower. The transmission was courtesy of Volkswagen and the body-shell was comprised of fiberglass. The next attempt at the competitve production automobile market was the Ghia designed Mangusta. It appeared in 1967 and its mid-engined placement and brilliant design made the vehicle instantly popular. The Mangusta was a true sports car, being just 40 inches in height. Aluminum was used for the hood, and gullwing rear deck lids. The rest of the areas were mostly steel. There was seating for two with the seats using the finest leather material available. The engine was powerful enough to carry the car to speeds of over 150 mph. Production lasted from 1967 through 1971 with just over 400 examples being produced.

by Dan Vaughan