What would you do as a Chevrolet assistant performance engineer and racing car developer if your employer suddenly decides to cancel all racing programs in the middle of the development of a new car? The most uncomplicated answer would probably be to change companies, but Bill Thomas didn't do that. When he worked with General Motors when he announced a withdrawal from all forms of racing, he continued to work in relative confidentiality on the project car. Admittedly, it helped that he also led his own company, Bill Thomas Race Cars,, he knew what he was doing from the start. The result of this (un) happy event is one of the most brutal American racing cars that have ever been designed, the cheetah! And yes, it's as wild as it looks, and yes, one of the estimated 23 cars can be yours!
On the way to the auction of Gooding & Co during your Pebble Beach event is Chassis No. 029, the last car that was built in the complex of Bill Thomas Race Cars in Anaheim, California. The 1966 car seems to be in an excellent unrestored condition and has complete documentation, time pictures, evidence of past owners and so on. But what makes a cheetah -so special? The answer lies in the fact that she was intended as a direct competitor of Carroll Shelby's legendary AC/Shelby Cobra.
The history of Cheetah -Gt begins with William P. “Bill” Thomas, who started a career in the automotive industry by modifying Chevrolet Corvettes to run it. Bill Thomas was employed by the CS Mead Motors Co. and learned the advantages and disadvantages of a racing car and after only a few years founded his own company: Bill Thomas Race Cars. Soon afterwards he aroused General Motors' attention and was asked to work on the new Chevrolet Corvair (from Ralph Nader slandered at every speed like “unsafe). Until 1963, he secured a contract from GM to work on a new concept vehicle that Bill also wanted to take racing. Stop, meant that the project was abandoned.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vdak_a84ki
Bill Thomas was not abolished from the decision and completed the management of GM on the outside area of GM soldier and the car with the help of private investors, its senior manufacturer Don Edmunds and a Chevrolet dealer from California called John Grow. Using various GM sourced parts, the first two prototypes from aluminum body were completed towards the end of 1963. Equipped with a 327ci or a 5.4 liter V8 from Chevrolet, initially pumped 375 hp (later more in force!). The light sports car looked very strong. So strong, even that they named it after the fastest land animal in the earth, the cheetah!
When the car came into production, the body was no longer made of aluminum, but made of glass fiber. The exterior seems to have shrunk as densely as possible to have shrunk the mechanical bits. The narrow cabin is pushed back as far as possible, the wheels are in the corners of the car and the engine is mounted in the middle of the chassis and screwed directly to the gear. The exhaust systems come out on both sides and there is a small window door with Dachhingen to get in and out. The tail is exceptionally short and ends only centimeters behind the rear wheels and emphasizes its aggressive attitude. The car looks in common from every perspective and is ready to strike without warning who dares to browse it.
When the cheetah -GT went, it was turned out that some elements were not exactly on par. The chassis was not strong enough and moved from a corner when accelerating hard. The suspension also had some children's problems, but finally most of them were fixed, and the Cheetah -GT -GT could be released again. During the tests in Riverside at the end of 1963, the chicken clocked in a laptime that was a second and half faster than Shelby's Cobra, which at that time dominated the race! It became a terrifying animal on the American race tracks when it entered the SSCA production car class.
Unfortunately, his ascent to the race was shortened for two reasons. First, because of its production, the SCCA explained to the practically not regulated sports/modified class due to its production with a low volume, in which it encountered much more powerful cars from Chaparral, McLaren and Lola. In order to make things worse, the FIA changed the homologation production threshold from 100 cars to 1,000 at the end of the 1964 season, which the cheetah could never keep, even if Bill Thomas still had Chevrolet company support. As such, the plug was pulled, and that was the end of the cheetah.
Of the 23 cars that are supposedly built, this is the last tram, which has ever been built. The original owner separated with it after only two years, but the next administrator took care of it for almost 40 years! During this time, it was kept in an impeccable condition, with the original color and even the original Firestone tires (not the spare parts in the back) being retained. In 2007 it was sold to a Cheetah GT enthusiast who followed this car for 30 years, with the owner at the time keeping it in running and driving condition. Shortly after this change of ownership, it took second place in the post -war preservation class in the Pebble Beach Concourse d'Elegance. On 2022 the car was sold to its current owner, and today it is still in a remarkably good but even more important original condition!
The car is auctioned by Gooding & Co during the Pebble Beach Concours of this weekend and has an estimate of USD 700,000 To USD 800,000. Certainly a high number, but it buys a really threatening machine with a unique place history and a fascinating story!
For more information, see Goodingco.com.
Editorial note: All images are in copyright law and with the friendly approval of Gooding & Company LLC, pictures by Brian Henniker.
https://monochrome-watches.com/the-petrolhead-corner-cheeeetah-v8-bill-thomas-general-motors-Don-edmunds-gooding-pebble-bach-auction/uction/uction/