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Alejandro de Tomaso Story | Mangusta | Shelby de Tomaso P70 |
The next model was called the Mangusta. Designer Giorgetta Giugiaro created the body style at Ghia. It was the design de Tomaso wanted. It was sleek and sporty. This is the car that made Tomaso famous. Mangusta was named after the mongoose, an natural enemy of the Cobra. Rumor has it de Tomaso had a failed deal with Carroll Shelby so he named it after a Cobra killer. The Mangusta was produced in 1967. Only 401 Mangustas were built over the four years of production.
What made the design totally unique was the gull wing doors on the rear of the car that opened to reveal the engine. Originally de Tomaso planned to cast a light weight version of the Ford engine but costs resulted in the cast iron Ford unit being used.
Read about the Shelby de Tomaso P70 joint venture to learn how the Mangusta was designed. Pete Brock had a hand in giving de Tomaso the body design based on the Vallenluga chassis. When Shelby cancelled the project, de Tomaso built his next car based on that body and named it Mangusta, Cobra Killer. Shelby de Tomaso P70