A 1969 De Tomaso Mangusta that is in perfect condition will no doubt have petrolheads caught in a bidding war when it goes up for auction on August 30th.
It will be taking its place at Historics Late Summer Sale at Brooklands Museum in Surrey and has had an estimate put on it of £210,000 to £245,000.
The De Tomaso Mangusta is named after the mongoose – mangusta is Italian for this – and presented a serious challenge to the supercar industry in North America in the late 1960s. A total of 401 were built from 1967 until 1971 and more than 250 were sold in the US.
Argentine racing driver Alejandro de Tomaso came up with the car when he moved to Italy and began developing competition machinery before he started creating road vehicles. The Mangusta was the first in his line.
The styling was completed by Giorgetto Giugaro while Ghia built it. Its design is a nod to Giugiaro’s previous work, while its stance is only has three inches more than the Ford GT40.
What made it popular in the US was that it was fitted with an all-American V8 engine to give it its power. This meant that not only did it contain an engine that drivers were familiar with but that it would also be considerably cheaper to keep on the road than other Italian cars of the time.
Now only 250 De Tomaso Mangusta cars are thought to remain around the world, making it an exclusive vehicle and its value has been rising rapidly over the years.
This particular car previously resided in California before it was sent to the UK and it has only had two owners since new. Aesthetically and mechanically it is in tip top shape. It contains a 4.9-litre Ford V8 engine attached to a five speed ZF gearbox. On the inside, it comes with a grey leather interior and air conditioning system that was fitted as standard.
Over the last 30 years, the car has been cared for regularly and professionally, as demonstrated in its documentation.
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