Manta Cars

Manta Cars was a small American specialty-automobile manufacturer and kit-car producer founded and operated by brothers Brad and Tim LoVette. The company was based in Costa Mesa, California, and later moved its production facility and showroom to Halladay Avenue in nearby Santa Ana around 1980. It operated during a period when low-volume manufacturers and kit-car builders offered enthusiasts access to dramatic, race-inspired vehicles that were difficult or impossible to obtain from mainstream automakers. The company’s best-known product was the Manta Mirage, initially promoted under names including the Manta and Manta Can-Am. The Mirage was a lightweight, road-legal, mid-engined sports car with a steel space-frame chassis, hand-laid fiberglass bodywork, gull-wing doors integrated into a removable roof section, and a forward-flipping door arrangement for entry. Its design drew on the visual language of Can-Am racing cars while using readily available American drivetrain components. Most examples used Chevrolet small-block V8 engines of 327 or 350 cubic inches, while some were fitted with larger Chevrolet 454 or Ford 460 V8 engines. The original layout connected a Chevrolet V8 to a Corvair transaxle through a Kelmark adapter and remote-shifter arrangement. Depending on configuration, the car could weigh as little as approximately 1,900 pounds, giving it a high power-to-weight ratio. Manta subsequently broadened its range with additional component vehicles. The rear-engined, Volkswagen Beetle-based Manta Montage applied the company’s styling and construction approach to a Beetle-derived platform. The mid-engined Montage-T used a custom space-frame chassis and General Motors X-body V6 drivetrain components, and was designed to evoke the McLaren M6GT, an influential but elusive prototype sports car. The company also developed a prototype for a highly accurate reproduction of the 1953 Chevrolet Corvette, but that planned product did not reach regular production before Manta ceased operations. Manta’s cars also acquired visibility through film and television. A Mirage appeared among the vehicles stolen in the original 1974 film Gone in 60 Seconds and was later seen in H.B. Halicki’s 1983 film Deadline Auto Theft. A Montage appeared in the 1991 film Highway to Hell, and a Manta Mirage was later modified for an episode of the History Channel series Counting Cars. The company’s vehicles have sometimes been confused with other Can-Am-style kit cars used in screen productions, particularly the Coyote cars associated with Hardcastle and McCormick; the Manta Montage was not the car used in that television series. Manta Cars ended production in 1986. Available reference material reports that the company sold approximately 1,000 factory-built and component cars over its operating life. Because the business was a low-volume manufacturer rather than a mass-market automaker, its legacy rests primarily on its distinctive designs, enthusiast-built examples, and appearances in popular media. No current parent company, successor operating business, public listing, or active official website is identified in the supplied reference material.

Manta Cars emerged in California in 1974 as a low-volume specialty-automobile company operated by brothers Brad and Tim LoVette. Its business model combined factory-built vehicles with component-car sales, allowing customers either to purchase a completed car or assemble a vehicle themselves. The company was located in Costa Mesa during its early years and moved its production facility and showroom to 2914 Halladay Avenue in Santa Ana around 1980. Manta’s signature design was the Mirage, a lightweight mid-engined sports car originally referred to simply as the Manta or Manta Can-Am. Its styling reflected contemporary Can-Am racing aesthetics, but the vehicle was intended for road use as well as enthusiast performance driving. The Mirage used a steel space-frame chassis and hand-laid fiberglass bodywork. Its removable upper section incorporated gull-wing doors, while the doors moved forward to facilitate entry. The drivetrain was positioned behind the passenger compartment. Most cars used Chevrolet small-block V8s, principally 327- and 350-cubic-inch engines, although larger Chevrolet 454 and Ford 460 engines were also installed in some examples. The original mechanical arrangement used a Chevrolet V8, a Corvair transaxle, a Kelmark adapter, and a remote shifter. The resulting combination of low weight and substantial engine output made the Mirage one of the company’s most recognizable products. Manta later expanded beyond the Mirage. The Manta Montage was a rear-engined component car based on the Volkswagen Beetle platform. The company also offered the Montage-T, a mid-engined design with a custom space-frame chassis and General Motors X-body V6 drivetrain components. The Montage-T was conceived as an homage to the McLaren M6GT, a rare and influential sports-car prototype. Manta additionally built a prototype for a reproduction of the 1953 Chevrolet Corvette. That Corvette project did not enter sustained production because Manta ceased operations before the proposed model could be added to the range. The company’s designs received attention outside the kit-car community through film and television. A Manta Mirage was included among the stolen cars in the original 1974 version of Gone in 60 Seconds and also appeared in H.B. Halicki’s 1983 film Deadline Auto Theft. A Montage appeared in the 1991 film Highway to Hell, while a Mirage was modified for a later episode of Counting Cars. Manta products have also been the subject of identification disputes in discussions of screen cars. In particular, the car used in the television series Hardcastle and McCormick was not a modified Manta Montage: the series’ Coyote vehicles were built by Mike Fennel and Unique Movie Cars, although the Montage and the Coyote reportedly drew molds from the same source vehicle. Similarly, Manta Mirages are not the cars used in Death Race 2000; the cars in that film were different Can-Am-style vehicles built on Volkswagen pans. Manta Cars stopped production in 1986. Reference material attributes approximately 1,000 factory-built and component cars to the company during its existence. The business is therefore best understood as a defunct American niche manufacturer whose importance lies in its distinctive mid-engined designs, its contribution to the enthusiast kit-car market, and the continuing visibility of its vehicles in automotive and popular-media history.

• 1986

  Production ends

  [1]Manta Carsen.wikipedia.org

  Manta Cars ceases production after selling approximately 1,000 factory-built and component cars.

• 1983

  Mirage appears in Deadline Auto Theft

  [1]Manta Carsen.wikipedia.org

  A Manta Mirage is featured in H.B. Halicki’s film Deadline Auto Theft.

• 1980

  Operations move to Santa Ana

  [1]Manta Carsen.wikipedia.org

  Manta moves its production facility and showroom from Costa Mesa to 2914 Halladay Avenue in Santa Ana, California.

• 1974

  Manta Cars begins operations

  [1]Manta Carsen.wikipedia.org

  Brothers Brad and Tim LoVette establish and operate Manta Cars in Costa Mesa, California.

• 1974

  Manta Mirage appears in Gone in 60 Seconds

  [1]Manta Carsen.wikipedia.org

  A Manta Mirage is shown among the cars stolen in the original film version of Gone in 60 Seconds.

A California specialty-car builder positioned around lightweight, visually dramatic, race-inspired sports cars and enthusiast-assembled component vehicles using widely available American and Volkswagen-based mechanical components.

• Mid-engined sports car

  Manta Mirage

  The Mirage was Manta’s signature lightweight, road-legal sports car, originally marketed as the Manta or Manta Can-Am. It used a steel space-frame chassis, hand-laid fiberglass bodywork, a removable roof section with gull-wing doors, and a mid-mounted V8 drivetrain. Chevrolet 327- and 350-cubic-inch small-block engines were common, while some cars received Chevrolet 454 or Ford 460 V8s. The original configuration connected the Chevrolet engine to a Corvair transaxle through a Kelmark adapter and remote shifter. Factory-built and owner-completed examples were available.

• Rear-engined component kit car

  Manta Montage

  The Montage was a rear-engined component vehicle based on the Volkswagen Beetle platform. It extended Manta’s design language into a more accessible kit-car format and became associated with the company’s broader range of enthusiast-built specialty cars. A Montage also appeared in the 1991 film Highway to Hell. It is sometimes incorrectly identified as the Coyote used in Hardcastle and McCormick, although those television cars were built by other constructors.

• Mid-engined component kit car

  Montage-T

  The Montage-T was a mid-engined Manta design using a custom space-frame chassis and General Motors X-body V6 drivetrain components. Its concept recreated the appearance and spirit of the McLaren M6GT, an elusive prototype sports car. The model represented Manta’s move beyond Volkswagen-based construction toward a more purpose-built chassis and drivetrain package.

• Replica sports car prototype

  1953 Corvette reproduction prototype

  Manta developed a prototype for a highly accurate reproduction of the classic 1953 Chevrolet Corvette. The planned vehicle was intended to become part of the company’s product line, but Manta ended production in 1986 before the project entered regular manufacturing.

1. 1Manta Carsen.wikipedia.org