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| De Tomaso Mangusta | |
|---|---|
| Name | Mangusta |
| Manufacturer | De Tomaso |
| Production | 1967–1971 |
| Assembly | Modena |
| Designer | Carrozzeria Ghia; Giorgetto Giugiaro |
| Body style | 2-door coupé |
| Layout | Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
| Engine | Ford 289 V8 |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual |
| Wheelbase | 2450 mm |
| Length | 4200 mm |
| Width | 1800 mm |
| Height | 1050 mm |
De Tomaso Mangusta The Mangusta is a two-seat, mid-engined sports car produced by De Tomaso from 1967 to 1971. Conceived in the milieu of Italian coachbuilding and American V8 performance, it combined design from Carrozzeria Ghia and Giorgetto Giugiaro with a Ford Motor Company powerplant, aiming to compete with contemporaries such as the Ferrari 365 GTB/4, Lamborghini Miura, and Shelby Cobra. The model played a pivotal role in De Tomaso's evolution and influenced subsequent models like the Pantera (automobile).
De Tomaso conceived the Mangusta during the 1960s era dominated by firms such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati. Alejandro de Tomaso partnered with Carrozzeria Ghia and young designer Giorgetto Giugiaro to produce a radical silhouette, while securing a Ford 289 V8 from Ford Motor Company partly influenced by prior collaborations in the Shelby American sphere and ties between United States import markets and Italian coachbuilders. Prototypes were developed in Modena and shown at events including the Turin Auto Show and Geneva Motor Show, reflecting contemporary trends set by models like the Iso Grifo and concepts from Pininfarina.
Styling was executed by Carrozzeria Ghia under Giorgetto Giugiaro, featuring a low-slung profile, pop-up headlights, and distinctive split rear hinged deck panels reminiscent of showcars from Bertone and Zagato. The chassis was a tubular steel backbone akin to designs used by Lotus and influenced by Colotti and other Italian suppliers. Powertrain packaging used a transverse-mounted Ford 289 V8 behind the cockpit with a ZF Friedrichshafen-style or Getrag-compatible four-speed manual coupling to a live axle, paralleling solutions seen in the Lamborghini Miura and De Tomaso Vallelunga. Suspension components sourced from Italian suppliers and steering and braking systems reflected practices from Dunlop and Brembo-era developments.
Production ran from 1967 to 1971 at Modena facilities with coachwork completed by Carrozzeria Ghia; final assembly and sales coordination involved De Tomaso's sales network and importers in United States and Europe. Total volumes were limited, comparable to low-run models such as the Iso Grifo and early AC Cars specials. Variants included left- and right-hand drive conversions for markets including United Kingdom, export-modified versions for United States homologation, and custom coachbuilt specials commissioned by privateers and dealers similar to bespoke work by Vignale and Scaglietti.
Under the hood, the Mangusta used a Ford 289 V8 producing roughly 200–271 PS depending on state of tune and market, a powerband comparable to contemporaries like the Shelby Cobra and AC Cobra. Weight distribution and mid-engine layout afforded handling traits akin to the Lamborghini Miura and Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 race cars, though braking and torsional rigidity reflected 1960s coachbuilt constraints similar to Maserati Ghibli roadsters. Top speed figures were reported in the 240–260 km/h range and 0–100 km/h times comparable to Ferrari 330 derivatives, varying by final gearing, carburation by Holley or Weber, and exhaust tuning.
While primarily a road car, the Mangusta saw limited competition use by privateers in events influenced by the FIA regulations of the era and regional series across Europe and North America. Entries were organized by small teams and independent entrants similar to Scuderia Filipinetti or private SCCA competitors, with modifications for suspension, cooling, and safety conforming to practices used in Group 4 and national championships. Its competition history is modest compared with purpose-built racers such as the Porsche 917 or Ford GT40, but it contributed to De Tomaso's motorsport visibility that later aided models like the Pantera and Longchamp in club-level racing.
Contemporary press from magazines akin to Autocar, Road & Track, and Auto Italiana praised the Mangusta's design daring and Giugiaro's styling while noting fit-and-finish and practical compromises typical of limited-production Italian sports cars. Collectors and historians link the Mangusta to the narrative arcs of Alejandro de Tomaso, Carrozzeria Ghia, and Giorgetto Giugiaro, and it endures in museum displays alongside peers in institutions such as the Museo Ferrari and regional collections in Modena and Maranello. Its mid-engine, Ford-powered formula presaged later collaborations between European coachbuilders and American engine suppliers, influencing subsequent transatlantic projects including the Pantera and other 1970s sports cars.
Category:De Tomaso cars