One-Of-Eleven Cheetah Racer Set to Cross Auction Block

One of a Kind

Corvette history is ripe with highly successful motorsports efforts, as Chevrolet has always treated its racing and road car programs as intertwining endeavors. But there are plenty of privateer racing efforts that are equally notable.

One of which is the legendary Cheetah, the brainchild of legendary California Corvette tuner and self-taught engineer Bill Thomas. And now, one of his eleven original creations is set to cross the Mecum Indianapolis auction block on May 14-19.

Photos Courtesy of Mecum Auctions. 

Amazing Find

Amazingly enough, this particular Cheetah is 100% original and unrestored. It's also number four of just 11 built. The seller calls this perhaps the most complete and original Cheetah still in existence, and it's hard to refute that claim.

Photos Courtesy of Mecum Auctions. 

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One Fast Cheetah

The first two Cheetahs built featured aluminum bodies, but this one is fashioned from fiberglass. The car's original owner, Bud Clusserath, used it to set all sorts of speed records around the country, including a longstanding 185 mph mark at Elkhart Lake. Rumors are that one Cheetah reached a top speed of 215 mph at Daytona in 1964, though they haven't been substantiated.

Photos Courtesy of Mecum Auctions. 

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Perfectly Preserved

Clusserath sold the car to fellow racer Sam Goins in 1965, who proceeded to race it until 1970. After its "retirement," the Cheetah stayed in Goins' collection for 48 years until he finally sold it at auction.

Photos Courtesy of Mecum Auctions. 

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Cobra Killer

The idea for the Cheetah came about after Carroll Shelby successfully began to lay waste to the mighty Z06 Corvette in the early '60s. Thomas knew that to beat the Cobra, he had to follow its formula of combining loads of power with a lightweight platform.

Photos Courtesy of Mecum Auctions. 

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Corvette Power

So the longtime Corvette racer started out with a bored-out 377 cubic-inch small block with Rochester fuel injection to achieve 520 hp on the dyno. Before selling the car to Goins, Clusserath had already swapped out that engine with a 427 L84 Fuelie producing around 485 hp.

Photos Courtesy of Mecum Auctions. 

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Opportunity Knocks

Goins was very familiar with the car, having seen it in action at Elkhart many times. So when he noticed the For Sale sign hanging in the window, he purchased it on the spot.

Photos Courtesy of Mecum Auctions. 

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Finding Success

Goins was quite the experienced racer himself, and the Cheetah brought him great success at a variety of tracks, including Mid-Ohio, Nelson Ledges, Lindale Farms, and Road Atlanta. The only changes he made to the car over the years were the installation of a driver-operated choke and heavy-duty radiator.

Photos Courtesy of Mecum Auctions. 

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Corvette Inspired

Today, this historic Cheetah packs a Corvette-derived 327 fuel-injected engine under the hood. As well as a number of other Corvette components, including a C2 rear differential, drum brakes, and Muncie M21 transmission.

Photos Courtesy of Mecum Auctions. 

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Worth Celebrating

It's absolutely incredible that this particular Cheetah has survived many years of racing to look this good today. Even Bill Thomas' son, Bill Thomas III, has raved about the car. "Your Cheetah absolutely is one of the most complete and original Cheetahs, and it lives up to its reputation as looking like it was in a time capsule." And that, friends, is something worth celebrating.

Photos Courtesy of Mecum Auctions. 

>>Join the conversation about this Cheetah Racer up for sale right here in CorvetteForum.com.

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