Wanting to incorporate the swift flowing lines of a jet fighter plane into a car’s styling, they converted their Whittier, California garage into a workshop and set themselves to their task.īoth Antoine and Hire are employed by North American Aviation Company in the engineering and designing departments of the guided missile and jet aircraft divisions so they were well qualified to transfer their drawings and sketches into reality. The Manta Ray: A Dream Translated to Plastic Realityīeautifully expressed in fiberglass are the ideas and imagination of Glenn Hire and Vernon Antoine in their exceptional example of automobile styling and building. So…off we go and let’s see what Dean Moon had to say about this special concept car from 1953. This is one of my favorite story that he penned – and one of my favorite cars too. ![]() What’s also true is that Dean was an author and a photographer, and he captured some terrific stories and photos from this era as no one else did. And it’s true that he owned this and built it into a powerhouse. We tend to think of Dean as the owner of the famous speed shop from Santa Fe Springs, California – only. Let’s break out of that mold and start considering some of the concept cars that were built in the postwar era by individuals and coachbuilders that were celebrated back in the day and represent some of the finest and most imaginative work of the era – like the 1953 Manta Ray.Īnd to kick this off, let’s look at one of the best articles on this car – an article written by Dean Moon of “Mooneyes” himself. ![]() But when “ concept cars” are brought up in an article or conversation we tend to think “ GM Motorama” or other show cars/concept cars of the big manufacturers. Small shops and creative and talented individuals built concept cars as far back as the 20s and they are still building them today. Concept cars were not all built by and for the Big Three in Detroit.
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