1969 Chevrolet Manta Ray Concept

This redesign of the Mako Shark II featured a restyled nose and tail. A gunslit vertical window replaced the louvered fastback rear window. Hard braking caused flaps on the rear deck to rise, reflecting light from upward facing stop-lamps (a feature first shown on the original Shark).

The Manta Ray was actually the 1966 Mako Shark with a few upgrades, so it featured many of the Mako II’s exterior features, such as side exhaust and a lower-body (along with the rocker panels) silver paint job. The front end had a pointed chin spoiler, and the headlights used two banks of 3 quartz-halogen lights. The covers for the side pipes eventually showed up as an option on the ’69 Corvette. Most dramatic was the all-new roofline. The Stingray-like pointed roof with its louvers was replaced with a long, sharp, scooped design. The Manta Ray also packed the new, lightweight, all-aluminum ZL-1 427ci engine, producing 430 horsepower. Even though the shark-inspired ’68 production Corvette was in showrooms, the Manta Ray was just too fantastic to retire just yet.

A gunslit vertical window replaced the louvered fastback rear window. Hard braking caused flaps on the rear deck to rise, reflecting light from upward facing stop-lamps (a feature first shown on the original Shark).

Source: Frank Markus, MotorTrend Magazine

Images: www.autoweteran.gower.pl, www.corvettefever.com; www.corvettes.nl