MUNCLE MIKES · CASTING GUIDE
MantisThe nose helps identify the version
Mantis has a bubble canopy and a pair of seats ahead of its exposed rear engine. The nose looks simple from above, but a lower view reveals one of the most useful differences between U.S. and Hong Kong castings.
Start at the front edge
Mantis was designed by Ira Gilford and Howard Rees and released in 1970. Early production ran in the United States and Hong Kong in 1970–71. On the U.S. version, the body-to-base division continues to the nose. On the Hong Kong version, the body extends down to meet the base underneath.
A photograph taken level with the front of the car is more useful here than another top view. Include the base wording in the same set of pictures.
The canopy and cabin add another clue
The U.S. car has clear glazing and an off-white interior. Hong Kong examples have blue glazing with brown or white interiors. The front wheels are medium capped wheels, with larger capped wheels at the rear.
Check the canopy’s edge and fit, then the exposed rear pipes. Cracks and repaired engine details can disappear against a bright background. A close side view often makes them easier to see.
Double Vision changed the rear
The 1973 Double Vision developed from the Hong Kong Mantis. Most versions replaced the exposed engine and pipes with louvers, although foam-green examples are documented with the engine retained. Base lettering and wheel-related changes help distinguish the revision.
A missing-looking engine therefore needs more investigation than the casting silhouette alone provides. Read the name underneath and look for the intended body detail before deciding that a part has broken away.
The Mod Quad guide covers another opening-canopy design from the same period.
Two rear decks, plus an important exception
The engine-equipped exception is why a single top view cannot settle every identification. Read the base name and compare its construction before calling an unusual combination a prototype or a repair. This 1973 Mantis-derived car is a separate subject from the later Double Vision casting that debuted in 1998.
