The Mantaray (show rod) facts for kids
The Mantaray is a super cool custom car, also known as a show rod, that was built in 1963 by a famous car designer named Dean Jeffries. This amazing car quickly became famous! It won the "Best Experimental" award at its very first car show in 1964, which was the Pomona car show (part of the Winternationals). It also won a special award for its builder at the 1964 Oakland Roadster Show. The Mantaray even appeared on TV in "The Tonight Show" with Steve Allen and was featured in the movie Bikini Beach.
Contents
Building the Mantaray
How it was Made
The Mantaray started with the base of an old Maserati racing car from before World War II. Dean Jeffries built a special "cage" out of wire mesh. This cage was like a strong skeleton, also called a space frame. The car's body was then carefully placed over this skeleton. It had special openings in the back, near the wheels, to help air flow.
Unique Features
This custom car had some really unique parts! Its wheels were open, meaning you could see them clearly. It also had parts of its engine, like the carburetor (which mixes fuel and air) and the distributor (which sends power to the spark plugs), visible from the outside. The car was painted a bright white color. It also had cool side exhaust pipes called "lakes pipes," which made it look even more awesome.
Just like some other custom show cars of that time, such as the Silhouette, the Mantaray had a special clear, dome-shaped roof called a bubble canopy. This made it look like something from the future!
Mantaray's Journey
From Gift to Fame
The story of the Mantaray began when Dean Jeffries received a special gift from his father: an old Maserati racing car from before World War II. Dean used this car as the starting point for his incredible creation. He built the wire-mesh skeleton and then carefully shaped the car's body over it.
After the Mantaray was finished, it quickly started winning awards. It won the "Best Experimental" car award at the 1964 Pomona car show. Then, it won a special award for its builder at the 1964 Oakland Roadster Show.
On Screen Star
The car's fame grew even more when it appeared on Steve Allen's "The Tonight Show" on television. This TV appearance caught the eye of the people making the movie Bikini Beach, and they decided to use the Mantaray in their film! While other custom cars like the Ala Kart and the Hirohata Merc had been in movies before, the Mantaray was the first custom car to get a lot of screen time. Years later, another famous custom car, Pete Chapouris' California Kid, would also have a starring role in a movie.
After its movie appearance, the Mantaray was sent to a company called AMT. They measured the car very carefully because they wanted to make a model kit of it for people to build at home!
