What is the price of rarity, uniqueness, and beauty wrapped into one vehicle? Well, for this 1964 Chevrolet Cheetah Prototype #002, the seller is asking $4,000,000! This aluminum body sports car was specially ordered by the president of General Motors Jack F. Gordon for race development in the early 1960s to compete with the Ford Shelby Cobra. The Cheetah, as it was named, was the mastermind of Bill Thomas who began modifying Corvettes in the 1950s and eventually has approached by Chevrolet to adapt his Cheetah concept vehicle into a race car. This example is one of three built and is located in sunny Glendale, Arizona and is listed for sale with a Buy It Now Option of $4,000,000 here on eBay. There are 27 days remaining in the listing. There is no option to make an offer but for this amount of coin, I imagine you would want to inspect the car and negotiate in person. We appreciate Larry D B and Ikey Heyman for submitting the tip on this rare car to Barn Finds.
This car is the actual test car developed by Frank Winchell (head of Chevrolet Engineering in the 1960s) and tested by Zora Duntov at the Milford Proving Grounds in Michigan. As is evident from the pictures, the Cheetah is in immaculate condition and still retains its serial ID #126364002. The interior is constructed of aluminum also and includes Stewart-Warner gauges, Jones tachometer, large sport steering wheel, and two low back racing seats. The car is equipped with five American Racing magnesium racing wheels. Four are mounted on the car and one is located behind the seats. The car is also fitted with a roll bar which tucks nicely under the aerodynamic roof.
The engine powering this lightweight beast is a 1963 Corvette 327 cubic inch V8 engine. The RF code motor is fuel injected and rated at 360 gross horsepower. The engine transfers all that power to the Corvette IRS 3.36 rear gears using a Borg-Warner T10 4 speed manual transmission. The car has triple fuel tanks, two custom radiators, and 4 wheel coil-over shocks. Even though it is a race car and a prototype, the car has functional headlights and turn signals. Stopping power is controlled by vented drum brakes on all four corners.
Besides its beauty and rarity, the car has some road race history. Currently, a book is about to be released on the Cheetah and this Chevrolet racing program which focuses on the first three prototype cars. This car was last available for public sale in 1969 and comes with a full documented history from its past two owners. The Cheetah is painted in Corvette Riverside Red and looks spectacular from every angle. The car is also listed here on Hemmings. If you want to own a piece of history and have some savings built up, this is your chance.
It’s difficult to argue with the price, considering this Cheetah’s history. I was fortunate enough (or old enough) to have seen Cheetahs making their initial racing efforts, read the contemporary magazine articles and even get a look at one close-up at the late, lamented Riverside Raceway.
I have also been fortunate enough to talk with two men who actually drove them. One, in fact, got some time behind the wheel of this very car, I believe. Both described the handling as “diabolical” and the driver’s environment as “sweltering.” For all that, both were pretty positive about the car, and thought more development would have made something pretty spectacular out of it.
I loved the looks, the sound, and the sheer dirt-tracking brutality, and wanted one then. I still want one, though it’s even more of a fantasy than it was back then. Bill Thomas built some amazing machines — all Chevy-based, as far as I know. Both he and his creations deserve a detailed book.
I think the team that designed the Solstice must have seen pics of these.
I owned one of these…that is, the 1/24 scale slot car…that did wheelies! Is there anything prettier than this find….
You have me beat. I only had (still have) the HO version. It was my dream car then, and still is now. Cannot stop looking at it. If there was ever a car where the man/machine were more tightly integrated, I’d like to know about it. I can feel the adrenalin just looking at it.
Either me or one of my 2 brothers has the H.O. Aurora Cheetah that we got in the mid 60’s, I’ll have to check my stash to be sure. Loved it back then, love it now!
Does this mean the value of my HO Aurora Cheetah is going up if this car sells for $4,000,000? I’ll just put a Buy It Now of $45,977 on ebay…
I had the Cheetah with the orange Lexan body. Recently saw one for sale at Electric Dreams for $1500. Gone now, must have sold.
The Cox 1/24 Scale Chaparral was one of the prettiest ones of that era. I think it even had an operating wing. Cox also had a 60 Corvette that had front wheel brakes. (a piece of string around the axel and a weight on an arm)
Check out https://www.electricdreams.com/ in El Segundo, CA for more vintage slots.
I still have my slot car scale model Cheetah.
hey, I don’t know here.. i’m all for getting what you can get in selling something, but my first reax to the asking price was like, “gimme a break”.. this sin’t a car too well known to the gen’l public, I mean, yo, if this was the first Model T or something, ok (of course would never be available for sale, and 4 mill would be a bargain, anyway, obviously)
I do know something of the Cheetah’s history, and I do think I have a pretty good sense of history in general to gauge a ballpark asking price, so even if I’m off base with my reaction, I hope whoever buys it will appreciate & enjoy it for what it is and not just strictly as an investment
What’s ebay’s cut on $4m? Not that it will sell through the system, but just curious. BTW, beautiful machine. Watched them at full anger at the historics. Awesome
Ebay doesn’t collect commissions on sales of vehicles. You pay them a certain amount to list the vehicle and if it sells, that is all. If it doesn’t sell, that is all.
There was a Yellow Cheetah driving around Kennebunk Maine last summer. Saw it on rte 1 a few times.
Perhaps it had escaped from York’s Wild Kingdom. ;)
Ford GT door configuration will knock some sense into ya
Forget the Jeep, I’m on my way,,,same here, the closest I got to a Cheetah was a 1/32 slot car.
This is the car that taught me the difference between design and tuning. Father of a friend had one. I was wanting to be an engineer. Looked at the specs for the car and was convinced it was a winner. He brought me for a couple of laps of Riverside. Then he took me out for a couple of laps in his Cobra. Was mystified why there was such a big difference when on paper I was sure the Cheetah would be better. Was then shown all the little things done to the Cobra over time to make it what it was. Learned an important lesson that day.
If you are wondering, the man ran a towing service. Sometimes he would be asked to tow cars he wanted by people that were in over their heads.
I once saw a televised race that had a Cheetah in it. First thing I thought about was the GeeBee air racer. Incredible power and potential for it’s size but only in the hands of the most proficient of drivers.
Too bad the fire at the assembly plant killed it off, with a little work I think it could have been a game changer.
Nice car, but vented drums, and no side curtains?
Thank you barn finds every time I open my computer I see this beautiful Cheetah gracing my 27 inch monitor
It’s replacing a picture of my 1967 GTX 440 six pack/ 1972 442 /1970 Torino GT convertIble / 1969 BAD A ROAD RUNNER That Cheetah is a work of art
It’s replacing a picture of my 1967 GTX 440 six pack/ 1972 442 /1970 Torino GT convertIble / 1969 BAD A ROAD RUNNER That Cheetah is a work of art
I misread the price as $4,000 and thought it was appropriately priced!
I raced a Cheetah back in the mid-1960’s, I couldn’t be beat! Ok, it was a HO race car!
I forgot to mention I still own all of my ho race cars including the Cheetah!
Likewise…..
Navadarick, Kit cars without drive lines cost more than $4k.
I actually had the fortune of seeing a real Cheetah at Amelia Island Concourse and these cars are small!!! Work of art and would love one but out of my range. GLWS and hopefully it goes where others can see it for all it’s beauty.
Does this mean the value of my HO Aurora Cheetah is going up if this car sells for $4,000,000? I’ll just put a Buy It Now of $45,977 on ebay…
Enough times I see comments on here that really make me cringe …
I think this time I’ll be the naysayer …
Sorry, doesn’t do a thing for me except maybe that engine, a true classic power plant, but not worth 4 mil, not even 1 mil.
An old Porsche or Ferrari would be more my idea of a drive-able investment classic. Even the 57 Belair rag-top with the similar engine would better tickle my fancy much more!!
Dammit. Paypal won’t let me compete the Buy It Now option
Hemmings has three of these listed the other two are 100k and 700k…. hmmm
https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/cheetah
This is no different than the first 2 1965 Shelby GT350Rs or the Cobra owned by Shelby himself, those all went for much more money than identical cars of the run. Certain factors take a rare car and move it into orbit!!! The market will determine the true value for this car.
The other two are fibreglass, and no Rochester fuel injection. But I’m not sure if that makes 3.9 million $ difference.
That’s funny! Can you imagine even trying to get that spare tire out of there to use it?
Yes, it would be much easier than…. emptying the back of a minivan to get to the crank to lower the spare down… or dropping the spare on a 4×4 truck on a rutted dirt path with a flat tire and no clearance left. They got it in there, I am sure I could get it out. Might even be easier than getting an aging body into & out of the driver’s seat.
At a pitstop. lol.
Thank you for pointing out why they have low-back-seats. Yes that is what would let the spare tire pull forward. It would also be a good reason to ensure that the tire were well secured so that it would not come forward when you don’t want it to. By the way, which series require the spare from the car to be used? All of the IMSA and SCCA 24 hour enduros that I pitted for, we passed our tires/jacks/tools over the pit wall.
Last time I bought a car on eBay I got screwed, blued, and tatooed! Advice for anyone looking at an eBay car listing…go see it personally or at the very least, pay a professional a few hundred bucks to give you an evaluation.
Car I bought a couple of years ago was from California and was grossly misrepresented. Advertised as “museum quality” and I think it should have been listed as “mausoleum quality”. Ad said all new parts including the braking system–upon delivery, NO brakes whatsoever–not even a functioning parking brake. eBay told me I was out of luck and to deal with the California DMV and sheriff’s office…no bad comments regarding law enforcement, but they only “took my information” and there were no results.
If this helps only one person, it was worth the effort to post.
If you want cudos for being able to spend more money on a car than most people see in their lifetime then this is the one for you. For sure it will go fast, it will get lots of conversation and you can say look at me I’ve got more money than brains. If you qualify; go for it.
God bless America
I’m speechless!
Did a Cheetah ever win a major race?
Well they talked a lot about racing, but I think an A-H Sprite or a Messerschmitt Tigre won more races and were more fun to drive ! This thing is insanity pure, for someone with vastly more money then brains and a death wish. If it was so great, why did GM abandon it? 4 million reasons to say — pass. This market it totally bonkers.
Does it have cup holders?
More importantly, have the IMS and/or muffler bearing issues been addressed?
More importantly, have the IMS and muffler bearing issues been addressed?
Buy the company and build your own Cheetahs.
https://www.rcnmag.com/news/get-behind-the-wheel-of-your-own-cheetah-replica-firm
http://www.cheetahevolution.com/
My friend works for the company that makes Ruth’s headers. They recently built headers for a V12 Cheetah.
That is certainly an option, especially if you intend to drive it. $55k for their “roller”. No mention of glass. Add interior, engine & transmission, lots of little item & paint. I would be interested to hear comments from someone who had one of these replicas.
Call or text Craig Ruth – 216-244-0338 – craig@cheetahevolution.com
Or take a C3 Corvette and modify it to look like one. I wanted to take a C3 and make it into a 60’s dirt modified.
raw,classic beauty at it’s finest. nothing say, but stareing is allowed,amazing prototype worth whatever they say,beautiful auto race car.
Saw this one at a car show in Mass a few years ago. I think it’s a fiberglass copy.
That was supposed to have this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi-bvKtSQk0&t=12s
owner says it’s a prototype aluminum body
It’s really beautiful with that factory injection unit under the clear plastic scoop, but didn’t the Bill Thomas Cheetah’s have a unit modified by Thomas with two air meter units, like this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YfU7NTYD8w
When I was much younger, I attended some of the regional SCCA road races around the country (I had an HP Sprite that was my racer – and my ride home). At one race, Jim Hall and I think Walt Hansgen were there with their first generation Chapparrals. Every one that could get near the Chapparrals were transfixed. But Jim Hall was over looking almost as transfixed by what I remember as a bright red Cheetah. I made a mental note that any car that could pique Jim Hall’s interest was one to be taken seriously. I could only get to within about 20 feet of either the Chapparral or the Cheetah. The only other thing I remember of that encounter was that the Chapparral had some sort of cooling issue and Jim Hall took a pair of metal shears and cut a fairly large hole in that priceless Chapparral body. I was in awe.
It’s absolutely beautiful, a piece of auto heritage art sits in our eyes only for the rich to toy with. If we had the money to toss at it gentlemen, all of us would love to buy it for a few shows plus rides, then stash it or pass it on.
Maybe we could do a group purchase/share?
Someone needs to step up and buy this and put it in a museum. I would, except all my money is tied up in hand sanitizer and masks.
Peterson Museum in LA is the best candidate.
I have wanted one ever since the 60’s. My dad had a Strombecker slot car track with all the cars. 2 Cobras (Blue), Jags, Chaperals, Vettes etc.
He still has it
https://youtu.be/EPGpTB9F6EI
While you could never duplicate the racing history of this, or any car obviously, for 4 long, you could make a really nice, aluminum body, Cheetah, and a Cobra, and a Daytona, and a GT40, and a Chaparral; …anyway, you see my point. Call me…!
Hot Rod magazine had an article/test on one of these, whether they drove it or not I can’t remember. I can’t actually remember much of the article at all except for the small block being 377 cubic inches. I never gave the mean cat any thought outside of the engine displacement and had no idea any existed or were worth….four million dollars. Imagine buying this, giving it a go and crashing it….cha-ching!
I thought Thomas built the Cheetah with minimal GM help. Although the rear end always looked professionally designed. he wanted make the minimum number to be a production car and take on the Cobra. But then I guess the shop had a fire and there were very few, so it had to run as a modified, just as modifieds were going mid-engined. Duntov wanted the Grand Sport to be the same thing, a production car to beat the Cobras, but GM canceled it and it too had to race as a modified.
BADASS. I’ll have to contend with looking at my 1/25th scale slot car and 1/64th scale diecast.
That was my first car. Of course it was a 1/24th scale electric slot car which I still have.