Traveling the International Championship Show Circuit is a Hollywood star by the name of MANTARAY. To say that this most unusual celebrity is receiving the red carpet treatment would be a gross understatement, for this new star is unlike any other famous personality. MANTARAY is a fantastic pearlescent-finished custom car, built by renowned stylist, Dean Jefferies. In their feature coverage, Hot Rod Magazine termed the MANTARAY a "masterpiece in the field of experimental dream creations".

The low-slung, hand-formed aluminum body of the MANTARAY sweeps forward from the driver's cockpit to the pointed front end. The flare of the body over the front wheels suggested its name. The design of the car is asymmetrical with the plexiglass-covered cockpit offset to the right. Ample power for the MANTARAY is supplied by a modified 289 cu. in. Ford engine with Cobra Kit. The mill is center mounted in a pre-war Grand Prix Maserati frame. Weber carbs and magneto ignition are visible above the body lines. You'll find it difficult to locate a metal part on this futuristic creation that isn't chrome plated. Unlike many show cars, the MANTARAY was built to be a functional machine. The beautifully finished black leather interior houses the newest Stewart-Warner gauges. Fresh air vents are located to the left of the driver.

In addition to being a major breakthrough in car customizing, the MANTARAY is an electronic wonder. The engine, cockpit canopy and lights can be operated from outside the car by a radio control system. Working day and night, Jefferies put the MANTARAY together in just three and a half months. For a car this different in concept that's almost a miracle. The MANTARAY first appeared in the movie, Bikini Beach Party, and on the Steve Allen Television Show. Movies, TV, and famous stars, however, are not uncommon to Jefferies. Such personalities as Jayne Mansfield, Steve McQueen, Tony Martin, and Harry Balafonte have turned over their cars to him and is magic spray gun. Jefferies' touch is a rare one. Working out of his Los Angeles studio, he has become world famous as the foremost expert in difficult paint finishes. From all indications, the MANTARAY will become the top custom car of this show season, certainly a credit to Dean Jefferies.