1970 DeTomaso Mangusta: Bring a Trailer special

The name means “mongoose” in Italian, and even if this American half-breed never killed a Cobra on the track, in the looks department it’s still lethal.

DeTomaso built 401 Mangusta sports cars from 1967 to 1971 before it was axed in favor of the ubiquitous Pantera--a styling step backward in the eyes of your humble author.

The Mangusta formula was the same as that for Pantera: a Ford V8 engine (albeit a 302 rather than a 351C) midships in a sleek Italian body. In the case of the Mangusta, stylist Giorgetto Giugiaro added the unique touch of gullwing doors covering the engine bay and luggage compartment, and he conveniently buried the small-block mill under the bodywork in the process.

Any DeTomaso Mangusta is a rare bird, but the seller of this gorgeous black example in Florida actually has three available. Brought to you by our friends at Bring a Trailer, any potential buyer should be aware that the $88,000 asking price reflects some “needs.”

And with a face like that, we’d love to be the ones to meet them.

View the post at Bring a Trailer here.

By Andrew Stoy