De Tomaso Mangusta by Ghia 1968 - World Of Classic Cars -

De Tomaso Mangusta by Ghia 1968

Like several other racing drivers of his day, Alejandro de Tomaso eventually developed his own automobile, one that combined a racing-style chassis, Italian design, and reliable American power, in this case by Ford.
The first true production De Tomaso was the Mangusta, which was introduced in 1967. It was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and built by fabled Turin coachbuilder Ghia, of which de Tomaso had become the president. The car was reportedly based on the Ford GT40 concept, as it featured a mid-ship V-8 engine, rear transaxle, and backbone chassis. Giugiaro’s muscular, wide-shouldered bodywork emphasised that the engine, which was visible under two clamshell-style rear windows, could propel the car from 0 to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds, through the quarter-mile in 15 seconds at 94 mph, and to a claimed top speed of 155 mph.

De Tomaso Mangusta by Ghia 1968

The car presented here is one of the rare Mangustas in Italy, and it is being offered by a prominent De Tomaso enthusiast. It was first registered in Italy in 1968 and is believed to have been continuously owned in its home country since new. Amongst its former owners was Umberto Maggi, the long-time bassist of the Italian band Nomadi.
The finished Mangusta was prominently featured in an article in the April 2014 issue of Ruoteclassiche magazine.