part 4

Shortly after Maverick passed away in 2015, stunt driver Mike Mantel purchased the original Little Red Wagon and has been displaying it at events. In March, Wayne Carini of Chasing Classic Cars and Mantel were both attending the same car show. Carini stopped by to look at the original Little Red Wagon and advised Mantel not to ever restore it but to leave it as it is.
The all-new Wagon in testing, sans its candy red paint.
Mantel, who is also the owner and driver of the legendary Hemi Under Glass, was originally going to take over ownership and campaign the ’69 car that got rolled on Leno’s Garage. After the crash, he was told the chassis was bent so he switched to the ’68 Barracuda – the longest performing Hemi Under Glass. According to Mantel, a lot of people don’t know that the ’69 car crashed with Leno was a brand-new build with no racing history and there had never been a ’69 car built back in the day. People are also unaware that the footage was edited to make it appear that the car rolled several times but the car only rolled once and landed upright so it ended up being more of a television prop car. Mantel said, “I had strongly suggested that the ’69 car not be repaired and should be displayed exactly the way millions of people had seen it crashed on television. I was told that no one wants to see anything dented and scratched up then a new body was put on the car. For me, it was like filling the bullet holes with bondo on the Bonnie and Clyde death car. It was the first time I saw a car ruined when it was wrecked and then again when it was repaired.”



Mantel has finished construction on a new Little Red Wagon wheelie truck that will tour with the original. Mantel says that it has been his goal to have these two icons of drag racing under one roof so fans can enjoy seeing them. Mantel is quick to point out that the new Little Red Wagon is not a tribute nor clone but the “real deal” as much as the truck was that Maverick had built to replace the original when it was wrecked.

Mantel is behind the wheel in these photos taken at Tucson Dragway and becomes the only driver to pilot both the Little Red Wagon and the Hemi Under Glass. Will there be a new generation Little Red Wagon in the future? “We already have the Little Red Fire Truck wheelstander. It’s a Hemi-powered Dodge Ram. Kids and adults love it and that’s what we’re doing for now.” The new Little Red Wagon, a 1965 A-100, will now go in for body work and several coats of Candy Apple Red — the color it’s best known for.