This DeTomaso Mangusta was delivered new in May 1969 to Ing. Gustavo Díaz Ordaz Bolaños, Presidente de la Republica Mexicana, for $8,891 (copy of purchase invoice on file). Of the 401 Mangustas produced, most had the less-powerful, 271-horsepower, 302-ci Ford V8 engine, while comparatively few had the superior 289-ci version with 306 hp, like this example.
This car’s early history remains vague, but it is believed to have stayed with the Mexican president for several years and to have remained in Mexico for some time thereafter, at least until the end of the 1970s. The car then moved to the U.S., where it was bought as a restoration project around 2017 by a European collector and brought back to Europe to start its painstaking full restoration. The Mangusta had been off the road for a long time and dry-stored for many years.
The restoration was undertaken in France by GT-Label between 2017 and 2022 with no expense spared; detailed invoices for all the restoration work are on file. GT-Label is known to not over-restore cars, instead refurbishing them in the correct spirit of the particular car’s era.
This rare example is presented in stunning Azul Blue (as from new), making it stand out from the far-more-numerous red examples. The beautiful interior has not been over-restored, which is what one would appreciate as a car collector. This Mangusta is a real head-turner, and with the ever-growing appreciation of Italo-American cars, this fine example will appeal to any discerning collector.
(Introductory description courtesy of Bonhams Cars.)
