[DeTomaso] Mangusta crests the $200K mark

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

Hi guys,

You didn't have to be Nostradamous to see this coming.   The design of the 
Mangusta will go down in history as one of the most stunning designs in 
automotive history, right up there with the Miura.   For years, Mangustas have 
languished in the doldroms, worth barely more than a 'common' Pantera.   But 
values have been steadily climbing for the past ten years, with truly 
exceptional cars commanding exceptional figures.

8MA1294 is the former George Gordon-Smith car, which had previously lived a 
hard life as a race car.   Bashed, rusted, burned by an engine fire, and 
patched together, George bought it and fixed it up somewhat and drove it for 
quite a few years, before selling it on.   It later was repainted by a 
subsequent owner, with a color change from George's Aston Martin California Sage 
green, to a very attractive deep blue.

The owner had Johnny Woods make a new interior for the car, and Johnny 
pulled out all the stops.   He worked on it for over a year; the stunning 
results can be seen on the PI forum:

http://pantera.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3550045562/m/3521023895/p/1

When it was all done, the car was sold, early this year.   I just learned 
it was sold again, reportedly for £131,000, which is just a shade over 
$203,000!   What's even more amazing is that the car was sold wearing George's old 
crappy 16-inch aftermarket hot-rod wheels; the stock wheels with tires were 
sold separately for over £10,000, or $16,000!

Wow.   It just goes to show what Johnny's interior work can do to the value 
of a car; the Mangusta itself was somewhat unremarkable, with steel patches 
and bondo, and probably a bit of rust here and there.   But that interior 
just sent it over the top.

I suspect it won't be too many years before another exceptional Mangusta 
breaks the $200K barrier.   Someday we'll all look back ten years and kick 
ourselves for not buying one when they were cheap and unloved by everybody 
except Pantera guys....

Mike