Hot on the heels of the Lamborghini Miura, Alexandro de Tomaso introduced his own mid engined super car, the Mangusta, in 1967. Styled by Ghia, de Tomaso owned the company, it was a low slung, muscular two seater powered by a 4.7 liter Ford V8 mounted amidships. This could be viewed through either of the engine covers, which were hinged down a central spine. There was a box section pressed steel backbone chassis to carry the engine and ZF transmission. The car was neatly suspended on a coil spring and wishbone suspension system that promised impeccable handling. Sadly, it was in this regard that the Mangusta let itself down. There was too much rear weight bias, making the car difficult to control in some high speed situations. It acquired a reputation for being a bit of a handful and perhaps even worse, it was not really a practical long distance machine, with minimal luggage space and too much engine noise. It engine of the car is capable of producing 305 bhp with 4727 cc. It has backbone chassis with disc drum brakes. The car was beautiful for most for die heart racing fans, those who want raw power.
Five speed manual transmission were installed in the car. The suspension is fully independent. Still, it was fast with a top speed of 155 mph (248 km/h) was claimed and it proved to be a highly exciting machine for those skilled enough to drive it properly. After 401 examples had been constructed, it gave way to the much more practical Pantera.
