Reinforcement
If there was one thing the 1.3-tonne Mangusta wasn’t, it was underpowered. After being worked on in Italy, the 4.7-litre V8 from Ford managed 300 hp, which was more than enough. On the contrary, the mid-engine sports car was very rear-heavy, with 68 per cent of the weight on the rear axle, which led to rather adventurous handling. You had to have your wits about you to be able to drive the DeTomaso quickly. Nevertheless, this particular example, chassis number 8MA994, was tweaked a bit during the restoration. It is said to have at least 330 hp – which certainly doesn’t make the Mangusta any easier to control.
The history of this vehicle is unknown; it only turned up at the British specialists Brotton and Stebbings in 2008, where it was rebuilt from scratch, so to speak. 8MA994 is one of the 50 examples delivered to the USA with the funny sleeping eyes. The DeTomaso was only given a black colour scheme and red interior during the aforementioned restoration, but it suits it perfectly, making it look just as menacing as it is. 8MA994 will be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s in Miami in 2025, with an estimated price of $250,000 to $300,000. This clearly shows that the Mangusta is underrated.
The full story of the Mangusta: here, a nice story. There are more nice things in the archive.
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