De Tomaso
Mangusta

Why it matters

The Mangusta was the second car built under the De Tomaso name and the first the company made in any numbers: 401 were built between 1967 and 1971, against only 53 Vallelungas. It paired a cast-iron Ford V8 with a steel backbone chassis and a Giugiaro-designed body.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Photos

Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.

• De Tomaso Mangusta (Wikipedia article: De Tomaso Mangusta)
  Photo: Craig Howell · CC BY 2.0
• De Tomaso Mangusta (Wikipedia article: De Tomaso Mangusta)
  Photo: Thomas doerfer · CC BY-SA 3.0

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

The Mangusta grew from the Vallelunga, with a Ford V8 and the five-speed ZF gearbox also used in the GT40. Its chassis was derived from that of the De Tomaso P70 sports racer, a project cancelled when Carroll Shelby left to run Ford's GT40 effort. The name, Italian for mongoose, a hunter of cobras, was not lost on Shelby.

Cars imported to the United States in 1969 arrived under federal exemption without seatbelts and with headlights lower than the US rules allowed. When the exemption ended, the front was redesigned with pop-up headlights worked by a lever-and-cable system. About half of the 401 cars are said to survive.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Early US-market cars (1969) have low fixed headlights and no seatbelts. After the exemption ended, a redesigned front with pop-up headlights worked by a cable linkage was fitted; the original quad-headlight look is considered the better looking. The car has a steel backbone chassis and rear-biased 32/68 weight distribution.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   The De Tomaso Mangusta, An Alternative Vision Level B Petrolicious

   • only 401 were produced between 1967 and 1971
   • only about half of these mongooses survive
   • a good ol’ American Ford V8 engine
   • 5 speed ZF box used in the GT40
   • a steel backbone chassis ... a 32/68 rearward-biased weight distribution

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   Petrolicious – De Tomaso Mangusta Level C

   • 401 total Mangustas produced 1967–1971

   Accessed 2026-11-12
3. 3
   Mangusta Level C De Tomaso Automobili (revived brand site, archived 2021) · 2021-12-06

   • Mid-engined, longitudinally mounted
   • Ford V8 engine (4,728 cc)
   • Two valves per cylinder
   • Two valves per cylinder w/ Weber Carburettors
   • Aspiration: Naturally Aspirated
   • Power Output: 306 bhp @ 6,100 rpm
   • 306 bhp @ 6,100 rpm
   • Redline 6,800 rpm
   • ZF 5-speed transaxle with a limited slip differential
   • Mid engine, rear wheel drive layout
   • Front suspension: double wishbones, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers
   • Rear suspension: Lower wishbones, top links, twin trailing arms
   • four-wheel power-assisted disc brakes
   • Steel and alloy body on steel backbone chassis
   • Wheelbase / Track: 2,500 mm
   • Length / Width / Height: 4,275 mm
   • 4,275 mm / 1,834 mm / 1,100 mm
   • Track: 1,394 mm (54.9 in) / 1,450 mm
   • Track: 1,394 mm (54.9 in) / 1,450 mm (57.1 in)
   • Weight: 1,300 kilo / 2,866 lbs
   • Top Speed: 250 km/h (155 mph)
   • Fuel capacity: 60 Litre

   Accessed 2026-11-13