Mangusta thread

a Spyder loses all those great lines ...

 

Giorgetto Giugiaro did not intend for the Mangusta to be a spider.

 

Great shots you posted, archivist. Thanks. I'm inclined to think that's the same car Don Vorderman featured in the article he wrote for Automobile Quarterly Vol. VII, No. 3. The Mangusta in that article also bears an unusual badge arrangement on the flanks of the engine hatches: Ghia crest with Mangusta script centered underneath.
Mang, when do we finally get to see photos of your splendid 'Goose shod with its gold, factory wheels?

 

oh crap, thought you mighta forgot
It's a 'logistics' issue and just has to wait :/

 

Look closely at the photo: another kid has just been seduced by the lines and presence of the Mangusta. Mom (or grandma), a few paces ahead, looks over her shoulder and urges him to hurry and catch up with her. Every picture tells a story. Thanks, again, Scott. Great pix you posted!

 

loving those photos too! Seeing a Mangusta in that sea of boring (nearly all other cars on the road) looking rides must have been mind blowing!

 

Somewhere I saw it noted that as many as 3 Mangusta's were slated for attendance along for a salute to the Pantera at CI. Did anyone happen to get photos of the Detomaso cars they can share? Thanks

 

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car/11q3/2011_concorso_italiano-auto_shows/gallery

 

Spotted on Hwy 101
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Looks like my friend Tom Galli.

 

The Don Vorderman Mangusta. If Mr. Vorderman visits this thread, perhaps he can confirm that his Mangusta and the one which appears in the B & W photos posted by archivist are one and the same. Better yet, share some of its history with us.
Photo found on qv500.com website
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The pic is from the front page of one of the Mangusta sales brochures.

 

I know that I couldn't make it (fired the guy who was finishing the paint), and apparently the mysterious poster from this thread who has special wheels , and planning to debut his car, did not make it either.

But, the Red Mangusta made it, formerly owned by Willie Mays.

 

And therein lies an interesting story, no doubt, as the cover photo for that brochure was obviously taken during the same photo session as the photos Don Vorderman took for his article in Automobile Quarterly Vol. VII, No. 3. Surely one of the contributors to this thread can enlighten us...?

 

Implausible though it may sound, herewith is the story of this white, Mexico Mangusta, as best I know it, and pending conclusive info from its current custodian:

During the early 1960's, México closed its borders to importation of cars from other countries, in order to foster domestic car production/assembly.

Wealthy car enthusiasts, with friends/relatives in high places, found ways to circumvent the laws (always have, always will. Money talks...)

Two Mangusta's were imported into México from the factory -- one orange, one black -- at the behest of, and with the fiat of the (then) President of México's office
(common practice in Latinamerican countries. Key word = subterfuge)

A third Mangusta, in "knocked down" state (think a British "kit car"), was also shipped from factory to México, concurrent with the two, fully-assembled Mangusta's

Current custodian purchased the "disassembled Mangusta" and had it assembled in México. At some point, fiberglass molds were made of body panels, but they (reportedly) were allowed to decay

The white Mangusta awaits restoration at a shop in México City in the near future. Missing a factory, Cromodora, LR wheel

 

Puebla....great investigative work! Noted you are missing a factory "cromodora" (did you mean Campy') rear wheel. I have one early (magnesium/not later alloy) rear wheel available if needed for your restoration. Let me know.

 

photos of wheel...
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Mang, thanks for that correction, re. Campagnolo alloys.
Clarification: the Mexico Mangusta I described is not mine. I'm merely trying to add to the body of knowledge re. the whereabouts of the extant Mangusta's. Someday, when Mangusta's are traded for the kind of coin employed for the likes of Lambo Miura's, we'll revisit this thread and shake our heads in wonder.

 

Don Vorderman kindly replied to my recent inquiry about the Mangusta he owned, as follows - redacted (and for those of you who don't know who Don Vorderman is: Editor of Automobile Quarterly during its early years. Enuf said...):

“…I can't tell whether the Mangusta in your photos [B&W photos of a Mangusta in Hollywood, CA] is the one I owned. Mine was red, as you saw from the photos I took of it. It was also an early prototype, so the suspension was almost infinitely adjustable. That led to the #@!! "journalist" [Sports Car Graphic?] who drove it cross-country making dumb changes to the poor thing so many times on his cross-country trip that it was a pig-on-rollerskates by the time it got to California. Once [it was returned to me] (I bought it directly from Alesandro DeTomaso, by the way), I sent the car to a race prep shop in Deal, NJ, to have the suspension geometry put back where it belonged.
ADT talked me into selling the car back to him while we were in Torino for the bi-annual motor show in (I think) 1971. I have no idea what happened to it."

 

Here's a fixer-upper for sale.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260845954224+&viewitem=#ht_500wt_1182

 

I am not so sure that is 8MA522, which would be INCREDIBLY early, and one of the very first ever imported to the USA.

Therefore I highly doubt it is the "first pop-up headlight" prototype.

Early Mangusta:

dashboard
a/c
parking brake?
no spare tire dent in front trunk

Late Mangusta:

seats
pop up headlights
tag in front trunk
rear Mangusta emblem
"fan" indicator in speedo


Incredibly rare parts included:

heat shields on headers
spark plug wire looms
uncut dash panel (no radio)
jackshaft spark plug wire bracket
return spring bracket
engine tag
drip tray under master cylinders (shown in the trunk)
Carello headlights
handle for defrost air
hazard switch
collection tray




Incredibly rare parts missing:

wheels
lugnuts
carpet hatches over engine
air cleaner
smog pump and bracket
steering wheel
shift knob

 

Anyway ... Is it worth it @ $ 100 G ?

 

Good point Jay. Much mish mash that leads to an uncertain VIN. Pop-ups were only in 1970 cars and many items on this car are from the early production.

Again this misnomer about the 289. It any were ever 289 cars only the first very few 1967-68 cars.

 

Wow! 100K and unrestored the seller may be a bit optimistic, but it does show you that originality is worth more than modified.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260845954224+&viewitem=#ht_500wt_1021

 

That guy is dreaming!! Make him an offer half that.