A mid-engined 1976 Manta Mirage from a production batch of 1,000 units is up for grabs in the USA right now. Produced in California from mid-70s until mid-80s, the supercar packed plenty of power while weighing very little, making it one of the world’s fastest street-legal vehicles of the era.
The company was founded half a century ago by two brothers, Brad and Tim LoVette. They drew inspiration from their contemporary Can-Am racecars while designing the Mirage, which were only loosely regulated in terms of design. The idea was to build a racecar for the road.
The Mirage shipped with an engine mounted directly behind the cockpit. Most examples received Chevrolet V8 mills with either 5.4 or 5.7 liters of displacement. Some wound up with 7.4- and 7.5-liter Ford V8s. Four-speed manual was the default transmission for most of the time.
With a curb weight of roughly 860 kilos (1,895 pounds), the car hit the wheels with over 400 horsepower (300 kilowatts). It also took advantage of per-wheel suspension, disc brakes all around and a lightweight glass-fiber body mounted on a stainless-steel space-frame chassis. It was offered in ready-made form and as a DIY crate car.
The Manta Mirage never rose to fame but nonetheless starred in a few movies, including the 1974 Gone in 60 Seconds.
The example on sale was assembled in 1976 with a 5.7-liter V8 in the engine bay. Its vivid red exterior goes along with a black cabin. The equipment on board is minimal – there’s a cassette player, but that’s about it. The seller claims the car is in ideal condition.
