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 It is what it looks like. The Corvette, an American Icon, is perhaps the most identifiable American automobile that has journeyed the roads of America for the past 50 years. Born in 1953, the Corvette has become a thing of legend, capturing the hearts & souls of enthusiasts like no other automobile in American automotive history. The Corvette evoked a passion not only for its performance, but also, just as significant, its styling. It was the epitome of form & function. With exterior styling of the '53 Corvette formed by Harley Earl, the father of the Corvette, it was unique from the very beginning and it would be this unique styling that would become a traditional signature of the Corvette for years to come.
As one looks back over the history of the Corvette and its styling, arguably the most significant designs were the oceanic & shark inspired cars of the sixties that came at the hands of Earls successor as GM Design Chief, Bill Mitchell. Mitchell was more than a passionate designer, he was a visionary, and along with his zeal for the Corvette, Mitchell was an enthusiastic deep-sea fisherman. Mitchell’s first Corvette creation came in 1959, a rebodied 1957 SS test mule originally built by the heralded grandfather of the Corvette, Zora Arkus-Duntov. This was the first embodiment of Mitchell’s oceanic inspired Corvettes, created for SCCA competition, which Bill dubbed the Sting Ray. The Sting Ray was not only a strong inspiration behind the second generation Corvette, but it was the first in a line of Mitchell’s conceptual ideas that would eventually lay the foundation for what would be Mitchell’s greatest achievement, the Manta Ray.
The Manta Ray concept debuted at the New York International Auto Show in 1965, known then as the Mako Shark II. The MantaRay, unveiled in 1969, was a slightly redesigned Mako Shark II concept released to tour the show circuit shortly after the launch of the 3rd generation Corvette. Both the Manta Ray & Mako Shark II utilized the blue to white color scheme of Mitchell’s original 1961 Mako Shark concept, inspired by an actual mako shark that was Mitchell’s prized catch from an earlier fishing excursion. With the assistance of Larry Shinoda, the new shark inspired Corvette concept cars introduced longer, sweeping lines and bulkier more pronounced front fenders & rear quarter panels that personified the graceful sweeping lines of a Manta Ray and the brute force of a Great White. But the true brute force behind each concept was concealed underneath the immense structure of the forward tilting hood. The Mako Shark II made use of a 427 Mark IV Big Block mated to a turbohydromatic three-speed automatic transmission whereas the Manta Ray introduced an all-aluminum 430hp ZL-1 V8 which would be an option on the '69 C3 Corvette. Both the Mako Shark II & Manta Ray showcased many intriguing gadgets & features for the day including a unique one piece flip top, finned knock-off aluminum wheels, and a state of the art interior with a digital readout for the speedometer & fuel gauge as well as several remote control switches and speakers in the passenger & drivers side headrests. The Mako Shark II also featured a retractable rear spoiler, and an extendable rear bumper whereas the Manta Ray introduced an extended rear “boat-tail” fascia and side pipes which were available for the 1969 Corvette models. Just as Mitchell’s 59 Sting Ray race car & original '61 Mako Shark concept had a strong influence on the second generation Corvette, the Mako Shark II and Manta Ray concepts left an indelible mark on the third generation Corvette as well as an influence that can be traced to the Corvette models of the present day.
Thanks to the designers & craftsmen at AutoArt, Bill Mitchell’s Manta Ray design has been immortalized in 1/18 scale diecast. Just as Mitchell’s design took the Corvette to the next level, the AutoArt replica has done the same for the 1/18 scale market. AutoArt is most revered for their outstanding attention to detail & overall fit & finish and paint quality and their replica of the Manta Ray has taken all 3 aspects to new heights. For starters, AutoArt has faithfully captured every point, curve & angle of Bill Mitchell’s original design and wrapped it under a lustrous coat of paint that authentically replicates the signature blue to white fade effect of the original.
The exterior of the AutoArt show-car replica brilliantly displays several key highlights of the original concept Corvette including a pair of tri-lighting fixtures recessed behind crystal clear lensing, a-pillar mounted rear view mirrors, knockoff-wheels wrapped in soft to touch rubber, and raised chrome-plated Manta Ray badges located on the rear deck & both sides of the forward tilting hood. The muscular hood is accented with photo-etched metal in both the hood openings and bulging dome with ZL-1 designations etched on either side. The massive hood tilts forward revealing the AutoArt miniature replica of the soul behind Mitchell’s Manta Ray concept, the ZL-1 V8 engine. The AutoArt ZL-1 is a very modern gathering of black, chrome and cast metal accents accurately replicated with every imaginable detail from wires to hoses, even the air conditioning label. The ZL-1’s painted aluminum intake manifold & chrome plated valve covers complete an authentic reconstruction crowned beneath a unique chrome plated ZL-1 air cleaner. Mated to the Manta Ray diecast replicated automatic transmission, the underbelly of the ZL-1 is neatly tucked beneath the replicas reproduced frame accented with a blue painted twist-on oil filter, cast metal painted side exiting exhaust pipes, and subtle yet effective details to the Manta Ray model’s suspension components.
The final area on the mandatory checklist rests between a pair of realistically hinged doors & a unique yet authentic flip top that swings open to reveal an accurately detailed, yet somber interior. Faithful to Mitchell’s 3rd generation Corvette inspiring concept car, the AutoArt Manta Ray replicates the avant-garde light blue interior of the concept car in all of its rudimentary glory. The barren dash - which rests beneath a distinctly angled translucent windshield - is devoid of most commonplace necessities except for 4 appointed ventilation outlets and the directional designator horizontally displayed above the unadorned two spoke steering wheel. The intricately detailed controls and switches are all gathered in a complicated yet organized array located in the center console mounted between the drivers & passengers simulated leather seats, accented with seatbelt straps & clasps and a bright red fire extinguisher surreptitiously tucked in an alcove located between the headrests.
The AutoArt Manta Ray replica wouldn’t live up to Mitchell’s show & go standards without faithfully capturing every detail of the original, and from nose to tail, top to bottom, AutoArt has painstakingly captured every detail in true to life fashion. Thanks to the talented craftsmen at AutoArt, Corvette enthusiasts can enjoy one of the many magnificent designs of the legendary GM Design Chief Bill Mitchell and arguably his greatest achievement, the Manta Ray. This AutoArt Manta Ray is without a doubt the 1/18 collector’s catch of the day.
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Corvette Manta Ray
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Total diecast model cars in Corvette Manta Ray: 0
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