The Coolest Corvette Ever Built: Manta Ray
Originally built in 1965 under the direction of William Mitchell, GM Vice President for Design Staff, the Manta Ray set the design standard for the 1968-82 production Corvette, aka "sharks." This hand-built Corvette was one of Bill Mitchell's favorite cars and he drove it daily. Originally coined as Mako Shark II, the car was renamed and updated and in 1969 to include an all-aluminum 427 ZL-1 engine which produces an estimated 650 horsepower!
Today, Manta Ray remains one of the most requested car in the GM stable of historic automobiles, appearing in exhibits most months of the year. If you know anything about me, it is easy to understand why this is my ALL-TIME FAVORITE CAR! I would pick this car over any Corvette, including Corvette serial # 1 (if it still existed!).
This page is dedicated to my fellow hard-core shark fans who truly appreciate this car.
That's me with Manta in Nashville in June 2003. She was on display along with other rare historic Vettes.
Two good pics of Manta. Bill Mitchell insisted on a fading color scheme that replicated a Mako Shark, his design inspiration for this car. The top is a black/dark blue that fades vertically into a grey/white shade.
Cool interior! Bill was a fan of gadgets and switches.
Detail of the gadgets for you hard-core Vette Heads!
These seats must be comfortable as the 650 hp pins you down! Can you imagine? 650 hp and air conditioning in 1969!!!
The top is targa-like, hinged at the rear. I'm not sure if this is removable. Also check out the 4 point seat belt system.
Note the pop-up emergency brake lights. I was told by a GM rep that these would pop up on heavy/sudden braking to make drivers behind notice the car's sudden stop. This was a safety feature GM was experimenting with.
Can you imagine the poor slob that tried to race Bill at a red light on the streets of the Motor City? Score one for the old man!
Manta sports true knock-off wheels.
All real muscle cars have side pipes. I can't even imagine how loud this must be with 650 hp breathing through it! These pipes are very similar to stock 1969 Corvette pipes (like I have on my car).
If you can't see the beauty in this car, check your pulse - you must be dead!
Manta Ray, simply put: Cool...
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