I'm a very big fan of the De Tomaso Mangusta. Pioneering a new modus operandi for De Tomaso, it featured contemporary Italian supercar styling with a brutish Detroit V8 mounted amidships, although there's a tangible refinement and maturity to the Mangusta that distances it from its Countach-on-PCP successor, the Pantera. And, of course, the Mangusta has a staggeringly beautiful, unique rear end that flips open like a beetle's wings.
Only 401 examples were built, with just 120 thought to survive today. This particular one was recently sold by Exotic Classics of New York - you can see their full gallery here.
The Mangusta name, incidentally, is Italian for 'mongoose' - an animal that can kill cobras. The story goes that De Tomaso had been promised engines by Ford that ended up being installed in Shelby Cobras instead...
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