Classic: The De Tomaso Mangusta

Posted on 07-05-2016 to 18:00 by Dizono – 27 Comments”

I just can’t get you out of my head.

In 1959, begins in Italy-based Argentinean Alejandro de Tomaso his own factory, from which he prototypes and racing cars builds for various clients. In the early ’60 decision Alejandro a sports car design, with of course the necessary on racing cars-inspired techniques. At the motor show of Turin was a green roadster, listening to the name Vallelunga, the circuit near Rome. De Tomaso was hoping the design to another manufacturer to be able to wear out, but when that is not interested in bleaching, he sent the drawings to Ghia to put the car under his own name to be manufactured.

Alejandro claims of the Spider and a Coupé drawn to have, already know most of the design of Giorgetto Giugiaro. Subcutaneous is the car built by a racing-inspired backbone chassis, with a amidships-placed 1.5-liter four-cylinder from a Ford Cortina. With 104 hp, not very powerful, but the Vallelunga was 726 kilos, and all around independent suspension with double wishbones and disc brakes on all four wheels very quickly. Small problem turned out to the chassis, which the Italians apparently not so good in each other had ordered and rather suffered from a lack of torsional rigidity.

For its successor, the Mangusta, was the chassis also re-designed. The principle was the same, but slightly larger, and especially more solid to run. The vierpittertje made place for a thick, Ford 4.7 or 5.0 V8. At least, in 400 of the 401 built Mangusta’s. Especially for GM’s Vice President Bill Mitchell made Alejandro an exception and spooned out he has a Chevy V8 in the back. As if Dieter Zetsche at Joop Donkervoort and come back for a D8 GTO-RS with a block from the A45…

We write 1967, a year after the arrival of the legendary Lamborghini Miura. Where Ferrari for Daytona doggedly continued to hold it for a front mounted V12, was Alejandro there quickly with his supercar with amidships placed V8. Also in terms of looks by the way, the Mangusta was a beautiful car that no doubt showed on his performance. Biggest attraction are the two gull-wing doors that provide access to the engine compartment and the car its distinctive double achterruitjes. The back is finished with four piercing look in his walk, that very good Italian simply use to hang below the car and of course the obligatory borrowed achterlichtjes, in this case, a Fiat 850 Spider.

With the supercar-looks-in was so good, but unfortunately left the Mangusta the other points down. So was the chassis, still not quite in order, and the car is not determined stable on the road. That only 32 percent of the weight on the front wheels rest, does not contribute to a good driveability. The interior was very cramped and the ground clearance is really too small for asphalt that there is not snaarstrak to lag. And that was more than once the case, at the end of years ’60…

Because the car by his American power which was cheaper than its direct competitors from Ferrari and Lamborghini, knew Alejandro still 401 customers to his showroom to attract. Who had a beautiful car in the garage, where they are especially not too often on a step had to go. His name, the car can in any case not deliver. Mangusta is Italian for Mongoose, a small predator that cobras can kill. Alejandro had to have a bone to pick with Carroll Shelby, with whom he is a successor to the AC Cobra would develop. When Ford Shelby, however, asked to work on the GT40, could Alejandro his own beans, go caps.

With successor the Pantera was De Tomaso to be more successful, were there between 1971 and 1992, with more than 7000 sold. That is exactly the reason that the brilliant, but certainly not perfect Mangusta only in the shade can stand of his successful successor. In 2001, the Mangusta, however, again all the attention, when Kylie Mingoue a yellow copy used for the clip of the song Can’t Get You Out of My Head, that for weeks the charts brought.

Gallery: De Tomaso Mangusta

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