Cobra Killer - de Tomaso Mangusta # 8MA 1216

This Mangusta is one of a handful of genuinely show stopping cars at the Italian Auto Moto Festival on Bristol last weekend and my personal favourite of those present.



When I was a kid and we got our first black and white television I was completely captivated by a Sci Fi puppet series called Thunderbirds and there were three real machines representing transport that seemed to capture that vision of the future, the Mangusta with its clean lines and gullwing engine cover, the supersonic Concorde and the ship named Queen Elizabeth 2 or QE2.



Mangusta translated means mongoose a carnivore immune to some snake venom known to kill vipers and typically avoid cobra's. However the myth is that Mongeese are cobra killers and that is why the name was chosen for this vehicle because de Tomaso wanted to build a car that was better than the Shelby Cobra after a misunderstanding about a supply of engines that went to Shelby.



The Giorgetto Giugiaro body is fitted on to pressed steel back bone chassis which has it's origins in de Tomaso's first road car the Ford 4 cylinder Kent powered Vallelunga.



401 Mangusta's are thought to have been built from 1964 to 1968 of which around 128 may have survived.



All bar one Mangusta were fitted with Ford V8's the 306 hp 4729 cc / 289 cui for the European Markets, and the 220 hp 4949 cc / 302 cui for the US Market, the US versions had pop up lights in place of the twin headlamps of the European versions. The odd Mangusta was built with a Chevrolet Small Block V8.



Tarantino aficionado's might recognise the 155 mph Mangusta from Kill Bill Vol. 2, see trailer at 1m 27 seconds, and Kylie Minogue fans might recognise the Mangusta from the 2001 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' video.



Chassis 8MA 1216 seen here was purchased by Alitalia pilot Giancarlo Furiosi and kept by him until 2009 when portrait photographer Jonathan Root acquired it.

Hope you have enjoyed today's Cobra Killer edition of 'Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres' and that you will join me again tomorrow for a look at a black cat. Don't forget to come back now !

Eye popping variety - Bristol Italian Auto Moto Festival

Yesterday was a long day due to a variety of pleasurable commitments which meant I got up at 7 am so that I could go down to watch the Bristol Italian Auto Moto Festival being set up.



Getting up so early was not in the least disappointing , seeing my home city centre full of Ferrari's, Maserati's, a couple of De Tomaso's and a familiar Lamborghini amongst many others, some models of which I saw close up for the very first time.

It was a particular joy to briefly meet David who's Special ALFA Romeo Lenham Healey was featured on this blog some month's ago and Richard Harman who's extremely rare South African Autodelta 3 litre / 183 cui ALFA Romeo GTV6 will be feature on this blog in the not to distant future.



As the name suggests this Festival is a veneration of all modes of Italian powered personal transport including a stunning array of motor bikes, Benelli, Laverda, Ducatti, Moto Guzzi and MV Agusta among them, many worthy of inclusion in this blog and indeed one will also appear on this blog in the near future.



Finally mention should be made of the many 'Mods' who turned up on their Lambretta's and provided a welcome Quadrophenia inspired sound system to their area of the Festival.

I'd like to thank the organisers for arranging a memorable day out in my adopted home town and thank all those who took the time and trouble to bring their bella machina's from far and wide, I look forward to sharing more detailed images and stories of some of the 50 vehicles I photographed during my all too brief two hour visit.

Compared to last years excellent Festival the organisers excelled themselves and cranked up the level of expectation for next year up another notch.

Hope you have enjoyed todays Italian edition of 'Gettin a lil' psycho on tyres' and that you'll join me again tomorrow when God willing I'll be reporting on my competition debut in the discipline of Production Car Car Trial's. Please keep your fingers crossed for me and don't forget to come back now !