The Mangusta replaced the Vallelunga model, on which its anatomy was based. The chat "Mangusta" is Italian for "Mongoose", an beastly that can annihilate cobras. It was accounted that the car was so called because De Tomaso had some talks with Carroll Shelby to alter Shelby Cobra with a antagonism car congenital in Italy by the argentinian ("De Tomaso Sport 5000" a.k.a. "De Tomaso P70"), but no accord was active back Shelby was complex by Ford into Ford GT40 antagonism programme. Nevertheless, Alessandro DeTomaso and Carroll Shelby were friends[citation needed] and business is business, so it is additionally accounted that the antecedent 200 engines for the Mangusta did appear from Shelby. The Mangusta was replaced by the abundant cheaper to body De Tomaso Pantera in 1971.