Description
This is lot number 146 in the Bonhams Zoute sale on October 6th, please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Delivered new in the spectacular Azul blue as it is presented in today
One of a believed only 150 examples with the 289ci Ford V8 engine and twin headlights
Matching numbers engine and chassis
Professionally restored with no expense spared (over 200, 000 of restoration invoices on file)
Comes with a copy of the purchase invoice when new
Old US title with EU taxes paid
One of the very first supercars, the Mangusta effectively established De Tomaso as a serious automobile manufacturer on its arrival in 1967. Alejandro De Tomaso had begun racing in his native Argentina in 1951 before moving to Italy to drive for Maserati and OSCA, the latter firm having been founded by the Maserati brothers after they sold up. This experience inspired him to form his own company - De Tomaso Automobili - in Modena, Italy in 1959. Racing was the order of the day to begin with, the fledgling firm building cars for Formula Junior, Formula 3, Formula 2 and Formula 1. De Tomaso's first road car - the Vallelunga - did not appear until 1965. A pretty, mid-engined coupé powered by a 1. 5-litre Ford four-cylinder engine, the Vallelunga was built in small numbers and was not a success, but did contribute its short-wheelbase, backbone chassis, albeit extensively re-engineered, to the Mangusta.
Introduced in 1967, the Mangusta (mongoose) was powered by a mid-mounted 289ci (4. 7-litre) Ford V8 engine. Also used to power Ford's GT40 Le Mans challenger, the iconic '289' produced 306bhp as installed in the Mangusta, which also used the GT40's early-type ZF transaxle. Later Mangusta production used the Ford 302ci (5. 0-litre) engine together with a later-type ZF transmission. Carrozzeria Ghia's Giorgetto Giugiaro contributed the striking coachwork featuring 'gullwing' engine covers, which had been intended for Giotto Bizzarrini. There is much in Giugiaro's design that echoes his work when designing the Maserati Ghibli, Iso Grifo, Ferrari 250 Berlinetta Bertone and, of course, the timeless Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT. With 300-or-so horsepower on tap in its original form, the aerodynamic Mangusta was good for a top speed in the region of 250 km/ h (155mph). All-round disc brakes helped restrain this outstanding performance.
De Tomaso enjoyed close links with the Ford Motor Company at this time and the American firm helped put the Mangusta into larger scale production than would otherwise have been possible. Nevertheless, only 401 examples were made between 1967 and 1972 compared with 765 examples of the contemporary Lamborghini Miura, and any Mangusta is extremely rare. The three marque registries estimate that there are only some 250 Mangustas remaining worldwide, making these survivors very rare.
This De Tomaso Mangusta was delivered new in May 1969 to Ing. Gustavo Díaz Ordaz Bolaños, Presidencia de la Republica Mexicana for $8, 891 (copy of purchase invoice on file). Of the 401 Mangustas produced, most had the less powerful (271bhp) 302ci (5. 0-litre) Ford V8 engine, while comparatively few had the superior '289' version (306bhp) like this example.
This car's early history remains vague, but it is believed to have stayed with the Mexican President for several years and to have remained in Mexico for some time thereafter, at least until the end of the 1970s. The car then moved to the USA where it was bought as a restoration project around 2017 by a European collector and brought back to Europe to start its painstaking full restoration. The Mangusta had been off the road for a long time and dry-stored for many years.
The restoration was undertaken in France by GT-Label between 2017 and 2022 with no expense spared; detailed invoices for all the restoration work are on file. GT-Label is known to not over-restore cars, instead refurbishing them in the correct spirit of the particular car's era.
The car retains its original Mexican registration sticker dated 1978, located behind the seats in the cabin, testifying to the owner's and restorer's concern for originality. The original matching-numbers engine is retained, which is quite rare as many Mangustas have been upgraded or modified. Since the car's professional restoration it has hardly been driven and will need some shakedown kilometres. This rare example is presented in stunning Azul blue (as from new) making it stand out from the far more numerous red examples. The beautiful interior has not been over-restored, which is what one would appreciate as a car collector. This Mangusta is a real head-turner, and with the ever-growing appreciation of Italo-American cars, this fine example will appeal to any discerning collector.
To many aficionados, the De Tomaso Mangusta is one of the very best of these increasingly popular classic hybrids, combining, as it does, stunning Italian design with muscular American horsepower. Over the 50-plus years since they were last produced, many have been modified by owners seeking increased performance, making unmolested examples both rare and highly desirable. The car we offer is without question one of the finest restored Mangustas currently available. The car comes with and old US-Title and EU-taxes paid documents.
