Based on a pre-World War II Maserati racing car,[1] it had a wire-mesh "cage" with the body laid over the bare space frame,[2] with air intakes in the rear quarter panels ahead of the wheels.
[5] Mantaray began as a gift from Jeffries' father: a pre-World War II Maserati racing car.
[2] It then won the special constructor's award, top prize for a non-roadster, at the 1964 Oakland Roadster Show.
[2] It also appeared on Steve Allen's "The Tonight Show",[2] which led to the producers of Bikini Beach using it in their film.
[2][6] Though customs such as Ala Kart and the Hirohata Merc had appeared in film before, Mantaray was the first to get appreciable time on screen.