“Mangusta” was not just an exotic name for a wedge-shaped supercar: It was also a statement of intent on the part of Alejandro de Tomaso. After winding up on the short end of a deal with Carroll Shelby in the mid-1960s, he named his new creation after the mongoose, or mangusta in Italian—the natural enemy of the deadly cobra snake.

Of course, De Tomaso’s Mangusta was radically different than Shelby’s Cobra in design. It was styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro in a low-slung rear-mid-engine format, using a racing-derived backbone chassis with independent suspension and disc brakes, evolved from that of the earlier De Tomaso Vallelunga and the advanced Sport 5000 racing prototype. Yet like the Cobra, power came courtesy of the Blue Oval: Save for one Chevrolet-powered example, every Mangusta would get either a Ford 289 or 302 V-8, accessed via the gullwing-style hatches of the rear engine compartment. This was mated to a ZF five-speed transaxle.

While the Mangusta demanded a skilled driver to extract maximum performance potential, particularly when it came to handling, it was undeniably fast—155 mph speeds were reported—and it looked spectacular. In total, 401 Mangustas were built from 1967 to 1971 before De Tomaso switched production to the Pantera, which was made in much higher numbers.

This car, chassis number 8MA0994, is one of 50 believed to have been equipped new with pop-up double headlamps. A US-delivery example, its early history is not presently known; however, it spent much of its life up until 2008 in California. At that point, it was acquired by De Tomaso marque specialists Roger Brotton and Phillip Stebbings in the UK and subjected to a comprehensive restoration on behalf of a client in that country.

With a very solid and complete car as a starting point, no expense was spared to make this one of the finest Mangustas in existence. Numerous invoices on file, as well as correspondence with Brotton, detail the tremendous amount of work lavished upon the car. Its livery of black—always a difficult color to execute well on hand-formed bodywork—over a red interior works beautifully on Giugiaro’s wedge design. Beneath the trademark gullwing engine covers sits a correct Ford 302-cubic-inch V-8 and ZF five-speed transaxle. The motor has been upgraded with a 340 stroker kit and is said to produce 330 horsepower.

After completion of the restoration in 2015, the Mangusta was exhibited at the 2018 London Concours and was featured in a Classic & Sports Car article comparing it, very favorably, to the Lamborghini Miura and Ferrari GTB/4 Daytona. Acquired by the consignor in 2021 and returned to the United States, its masterful restoration continues to impress today. Now accompanied by build sheet copies, invoices, and correspondence, this is a most impressive representation of De Tomaso’s ambitious “Cobra-killer”—a Mangusta to exhibit or enjoy on the open road.