Bella Mangusta, The Italian Art and Design of the De Tomaso Mangusta
by Dick Ruzzin
“A young man with a family to support, the proposed Mangusta design was done at home on Giorgetto Giugiaro’s kitchen table.”
This car truly is rare in that it is a one and only. The Mangusta body is one of 401 originally produced at the De Tomaso factory and sold from 1968 through 1972. And here’s where the word rare comes in; this is the only Mangusta ever originally mated at the factory with a GM powerplant. And, the book is its author’s—as well as its owner’s—homage in photos and words to the car he’s fortunate enough to call his own.
This image is an example of the words opposite images throughout the book.
It won’t take you long to read, for half the pages contain the text describing the photo—or more correctly, the reason for the photo—that is on the facing page. Those per-page words rarely exceed two hundred. And that’s fine for you’ll actually spend more time looking at the images closely in order to absorb the details and just enjoy each for many are taken purely for the beauty and enjoyment found in a shape, or a reflection, or . . .
“The Mangusta’s simple shape skins over the Shelby/De Tomaso P70 race car chassis. Looking closely you will find many subtleties that support the execution of the major theme.”
This car had been ordered by none other than General Motors’ then-VP of Design, Bill Mitchell. Author Dick Ruzzin was at the time still early in his career, a part of Design Staff as a car designer with GM which, of course, is how he knew about the car and was fortunate enough to acquire it in 1969. Mitchell had specified that this Mangusta he’d ordered be fitted with a GM engine so had directed Zora Arkus-Duntov to oversee the build of a special, hand-assembled 350 hp LT79 Corvette powerplant. Once assembled it was sent to Modena, Italy to De Tomaso Automobili with the adapter plate needed to mate it to the standard Mangusta ZF five-speed transaxle.
Over the ensuing years Dick Ruzzin invested both time and effort as he focused on correcting some of the car’s engineering deficiencies in order to make it more reliable and roadworthy for this is a car he drives—in all seasons and weather, including snow! It is definitely not a garage queen. And due to his background, training and profession, from which he’s been retired since shortly after the Millenium, his eye is (as they say) trained. Thus all “photography, drawings and [the] graphic design theme” are the author’s who is also behind the publishing of this lovely volume.
“The flat leather covered instrument panel contains eight Veglia Borletti gauges and seven toggle switches as well as the other required controls for the driver.“
This Mangusta, designated 8MA-670 is the 85th of the 401 built at the factory in Modena, Italy. It can and should be viewed as an international vehicle in that it has an “American engine, English brakes, French steering, and a German transaxle all wrapped in a very beautifully designed and executed Italian body . . . designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro.”
“The name ‘Mangusta’ is Italian for mongoose, a small very quick animal that can kill a cobra.” Thus De Tomaso chose the name for this car with which he “wished to have the possibility of driving on the highways and downtown, a car offering all the modern technique and comfort while having at the same time . . . a car with road-holding [and] a chassis that never betrays.”
With Xlibris as the printer, you are assured a brand new, freshly printed on-demand copy with which to admire the lines of the car and Dick Ruzzin’s narrative and photography.
Copyright 2025 Helen V Hutchings (speedreaders.info)
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