The Manta Ray, GM design concept was commissioned by Bill Mitchell, the head of General Motors and a keen deep sea fisherman, who wanted to develop a model based on the sleek appearance of mako shark gliding through the water.
He personally appointed Larry Shinoda to carry out the design work and the result was the dramatic, two tonned Mako Shark concept car. The design was to greatly influence the styling of the Corvette from 1968 onwards.
The Manta Ray, also known as the Mako Shark II, was developed from the Mako Shark concept car. The pointed nose and the color scheme gradated from blue/grey at the top to silver/white at the bottom and resembled the appearance of the shark itself.
The car was powered by a Chevrolet 427cu. in. ZL-1 aluminum engine and was teamed with automatic transmission controlled electronically from a rotary selector. The specially designed body featured a retractable rear spoiler, concealed license plate and extendable bumper.
The car came with specially cast aluminum wheels with deep-dish design and thin forming a pattern similar to a wire-spoke wheel.
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