#Manta car models driver#
The car is a three-seater, the driver sitting in a central and advanced position between his two passengers.
An extremely compact car, the Manta is only 13.6 feet long and its maximum height does not exceed 41.5 inches. The car was built on the chassis of Bizzarrini’s racing prototype, which took part in the 24 Hours at Le Mans in 1967. Motor Trend’s report included “one of the major stars of the exhibit – the ‘Manta’. Giugiaro’s solution may not be perfect, but at least he’s had a go at the bonnet problem.”
#Manta car models windows#
Forward visibility can’t be too good, and fixed side windows could be horribly claustrophobic. The driver sits centrally (no hand signals) with a passenger seat each side of him, which may not be ideal or even necessary, while it certainly over-widens the car. The tail cuts off pleasantly with a rising curve from below, but the bold simplicity is spoiled by the Miura-style lateral slats in front of the screen, and a pointless row of holes running below the doors from front to rear. Roat & Track reported “Giugiaro has taken the plunge and got rid of the bonnet altogether, merging the letter-box nose with the screen and the roof in one firm, rising line. A coat of lime green paint ensured that everyone had to look twice. We therefore took this as the starting point for our research, with a view to constructing a vehicle for the 1968 Turin Motor Show.”Īn angular body, somewhat of a ‘folded paper’ design, was fixed on the chassis and finished up in time for the 1968 Turin Motorshow. Giugiaro has said “we started working on a chassis the engineer Giotto Bizzarrini obtained by modifying a model of the Grifo Competizione which had a tubular structure. Many articles claim it was a Bizzarrini P538 chassis #3 from Le Mans. Unfortunately Giotto Bizzarrini nor Giorgetto Giugiaro can remember exactly which chassis was sourced for the Manta. This chassis, borrowed from the P538 prototype, was a tubular steel design that was meant to endure the hardship of Lemans and the grunt from a fully tuned Chevrolet V8. Giorgetto Giugiaro had a personal interest in the car from its inception and he drew up a plan with Giotto Bizzarrini to use his most developed chassis for a radical showcar. With three people seated side-by-side it must be a particularly tight squeeze as much of the available passenger foot space is occupied by intrusive wheel wells. The idea was copied from a Ferrari 365 prototype built in 1965 and it was later, more popularly revived with the mighty McLaren F1. Inside the cockpit is an odd layout that seats the driver in the middle of the interior with a passenger on either side. The Manta is remarkable as it was built up from an ex-Le Mans racer and it is one of the first cars the world to use a triple seat arrangement. He used it to promote and launch Ital Design in Turin. Built from Bizzarrini parts, the Manta was one of Giorgetto Giugiaro’s first independent designs as an independent consultant.
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