This 1969 De Tomaso Mangusta Was Born to Kill Cobras and It’s Chasing Record Money

There are automotive auction listings, and then there are automotive events. A 1969 De Tomaso Mangusta just landed on Bring a Trailer after 23 years in the same owner’s care, and with four days still left on the clock, bidding has already rocketed past $335,000. For a car that predates the Pantera and out-weirds nearly everything else from Modena, that number makes a lot of sense.

The Mangusta exists all because a handshake went sideways. Alejandro de Tomaso partnered with Carroll Shelby on the P70 racing project back in the mid-’60s. Of course, Shelby ended up walking before the thing was finished, and de Tomaso responded the only way a proud Argentine expat in Modena could. He took the P70’s backbone chassis, commissioned a young Giorgetto Giugiaro at Ghia to drape a body over it, and named the result after the mongoose, the one animal famous for killing cobras.

The production car debuted at the 1966 Turin Motor Show with a mid-mounted Ford V8, a ZF five-speed transaxle, and those unforgettable center-hinged gullwing engine covers. Just 401 were built before the Pantera took over, and only around 250 survive today.

This example has worn dark blue since the 1970s, though the current owner had it stripped and repainted in 2024 with Sikkens paint, three coats of clear, and a ceramic coating over the top. The 15″ Campagnolo magnesium wheels got the proper Dow 7 treatment, and the rechromed rear brightwork rounds out the affair.

Now, the mechanicals haven’t been neglected either. The 302ci V8 was rebuilt in 2006 with TRW pistons, a Crane cam, a forged crank, and aluminum heads, then topped with a Holley Brawler 650 carb in 2021. Inside, the cabin was reupholstered in red leather back in 2005, and it pairs with that wood-rimmed three-spoke wheel about as well as anything we’ve seen all year.

Offered with factory literature, service records, and a clean California title, this Mangusta is live on Bring a Trailer now with bidding at $335,000 and four days remaining. Head over to the listing to watch the fireworks.

1969 De Tomaso Mangusta

After 23 years in one owner’s hands, this rebuilt, dark blue Giugiaro wedge is chasing record Mangusta money on Bring a Trailer.

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