Rare 1969 DeTomaso Mangusta with Mechanical Problems

A rare yellow 1969 DeTomaso Mangusta with mechanical problems arriving at and leaving the 2024 San Marino Motor Classic at Lacy Park, where it won Second in Class (Italian Sports Cars DeTomaso 1963-1975)). Introduced in 1966, the Mangusta featured bodywork designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Ghia and most examples are powered by a Ford 302 V8 engine mated to a ZF 5-speed manual transmission. 401 Mangustas were built before the model was replaced by the Pantera in 1971.

Bright yellow sports cars are good at grabbing people's attention - something that you may not want when your car breaks down while entering a show. But that's the fun of owning a classic, right? At least the owner can rest assured he's not alone; at an annual event with over a hundred old cars in attendance, it's almost certain that each year at least handful of them will run into mechanical trouble. And thanks to the mechanical trouble, I got to catch a glimpse of the car's unique gullwing engine cover sitting open. The Mangusta's name was a clever jab at the Shelby Cobra. It may not have been particularly popular or successful compared to the Cobra, but it helped pave the way for the Pantera, undoubtedly DeTomaso's best-known model, of which over 7,000 units were built.

Would you choose this DeTomaso Mangusta over a Pantera? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!