Is that Mangusta Protoype no. 1 bodied by the factory | FerrariChat

Is that Mangusta Protoype no. 1 bodied by the factory

Discussion in 'Other Italian' started by bitzman, Jul 23, 2012.

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  1. bitzman

    bitzman F1 Rookie
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    wallace wyss
    I looked on Google for pictures of the Mangusta no. 1 and saw
    the gold car with

    - the full width non-movable sunroof
    -blacked out nameplate on side
    -deep dish gold wheels
    -custom made taillights

    That reminded me that a few years ago, I saw pictures of it as a running car in Italian Car maazine (from England) where some reporter tookit for a ride. Yet when I saw the car in Italy it had a mock up dashboard, no drivetrain, but that was 30 years ago. So my question is: did the factory put that prototype body on a production Mangusta chassis to sell it? Or did some outside buyer first buy the body and then go ahead put it on a chassis himself?
    When I heard of the factory prototypes being sold later on when they went bankrupt I think the Mangusta prototype was already gone from the list. I dont think the car has shown up at the Villa d' Este, the premium concours in Europe.
    Does anyone know how it got to be a running car?
     
  2. DenisC

    DenisC Formula 3

    Oct 11, 2009
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    #2 DenisC, Jul 24, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    The Mangusta Prototipo buck was put on a frame, late in 69, so yes the elegant mock-up dash was lost to the production one. The Prototipo was reworked at least 3 times and had many details different from the production cars: unique taillights, removable plexiglass roof, front opening hood, opening vent glass (all 4), badges on wings, wing hinges stick-out, no finger recess for door buttons, glass covered headlights, no slots below rear windows, engine cover does not swing-up with wings, spare tire is in front, arm rest design is different, wiper swing inboard, wiper grills details, rear valance design, one piece rear bumper, unique side marker and signal lights , 2 piece seat with rear window fixed head-rests and the unique DeTomaso, Ford-inspired design motor with either a Telecamit or Weber intake system. I do not recall seeing the gold-toned wheels on this car in any of the mags or outings, one thing for sure the rears were larger and had fatter tires than the production cars.

    The car is still owned by the DeTomaso family. I have tried on a few occasions to ascertain it's VIN but was never successful.
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  3. DenisC

    DenisC Formula 3

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    #3 DenisC, Jul 24, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  4. bitzman

    bitzman F1 Rookie
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    It was dark brown. It had Dino style caramel colored leather seats
    that seemed short (about as tall as XKE series I seats). The driver
    that day I saw it was a movie star named Dino Martin, who was waiting at a
    body shop to get an estimate bcause he had crashed it hard head on.
    He later died when he had a head on crash with a mountain in a fighter jet.
    I think later I saw pictures of a dark brown glass top mangusta in the two Mangusta collection of a fellow who lived on the coast south of Newport Beach, maybe Solana Beach. He bought the car damaged and I don't know if it was fixed. The second glass roof car was the red one owned by Don Vordermann the editor of Automobile Quarterly whose car also had the deeper dish wheels, and the blacked out chrome lettering. Incidentally Mr. Amory Haskell, the brother of Mrs. DeTomaso, had a Mangusta with rectangular exhausts and glass roof that was on the cover of Sports Car Graphic. I remembered it because it had personalized license plates and back in those days I didn't think you could get them but the Haskells were high society and knew people who knew people, etc.
    I am surprised the DeTomaso family still owns the prototypes--all I know about the family since the sale fo the company is that some prototypes were sold and Mrs. Haskell appears as a competitor with her dog at the NY Kennel Club show.
     
  5. DenisC

    DenisC Formula 3

    Oct 11, 2009
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    The Dino Martin Mangusta is currently under restoration, past owners have had all the necessary parts, car should be a beauty once finished.
     
  6. velocetwo

    velocetwo F1 World Champ

    Dec 11, 2006
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    The seats in the B&W photo sort of have that Ghia 450SS look to them.
     
  7. DenisC

    DenisC Formula 3

    Oct 11, 2009
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    #7 DenisC, Jul 30, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    The original seat (lost in later version) have a similar look to that of the 450ss (they are both Ghia cars), but definately less Eames like. Ghia450 seat in this pic
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