1970 Detomaso Mangusta
Giorgetto Giugiaro’s signature center-hinged gullwing engine covers distinguished this mid-engine Italian exotic from contemporaries, opening outward to reveal the powerplant. The low-profile wedge body stood just 43 inches tall, featuring sharp creases and pop-up headlamps on later US-market examples.
Early European production utilized quad round headlights before American safety regulations necessitated the retractable design.
Most production models employed Ford’s 302 cubic inch V-8 producing approximately 221 horsepower, transmitted through a five-speed ZF transaxle to the rear wheels. Early European-specification cars received the higher-output 289 cubic inch variant generating about 306 horsepower.
Independent suspension at all four corners combined with rack-and-pinion steering and four-wheel disc brakes, though the rear-biased 44/56 weight distribution challenged handling limits.
Production spanned 1967 through 1971 at De Tomaso’s Modena facility, yielding 401 examples before the more cost-effective Pantera replaced it. Approximately 150 cars were delivered to European markets while the remainder went to North American customers.
The model’s name referenced the cobra-killing mongoose, a choice often linked to the soured relationship between Alejandro de Tomaso and Carroll Shelby.
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