06/07/2026
◇ In the early 1960s, Carroll Shelby's Ford powered Cobras were dominating American road racing. Bill Thomas wanted to end that. He designed the Cheetah, an ultra lightweight sports car engineered specifically to challenge the Cobra's throne. The Cheetah was radical. The V8 engine sat so far back in the chassis that the transmission output shaft connected directly to the rear differential, eliminating the need for a traditional driveshaft. That front mid engine layout gave the car exceptional balance. The fiberglass body kept weight down to between fifteen hundred and seventeen hundred pounds. Highly tuned Corvette V8 engines provided brutal power. The result was a power to weight ratio that could exceed two hundred miles per hour.
◇ But speed came at a cost. The driver sat right next to the engine compartment and exhaust system. The fiberglass cockpit trapped extreme heat. Driving a Cheetah was punishing. Sweat soaked through fire suits. Feet burned near pedals. Drivers needed talent and tolerance for pain. The car was fast, but it was not comfortable. It was not meant to be. It was meant to win. And on good days, it did. The Cheetah proved it could hang with the Cobras, even outrun them on certain tracks.
◇ Only about two dozen original Cheetahs were ever built. Changing racing regulations and a catastrophic factory fire ended production before the car could fully realize its potential. Original survivors are now highly prized collectors items, with rare models valued at over two million dollars. The Cheetah remains a footnote in racing history, but a legendary one. A what if. A almost. A snarling, overheating, fiberglass missile that scared the Cobra camp and broke the hearts of everyone who loved it. It did not beat Shelby. But it sure made him nervous.
