Cheetahs live, now if we could only get a kit.

[Greg Myers]

 

http://www.chevyhardcore.com/features/cheetah-the-legendary-hardcore-chevy-powered-road-racer/

Edited June 3, 2016 by Greg Myers

[unclescott58]

Now the above link does lead to a very good and informative article. Thanks, Greg.

Both the Cheetah and the Shelby Cobra coupe need to be made as a 1/25 scale styrene plastic kit. I don't know why this has never happened. It's really something Revell or Meobius should do.

[Crazy Ed]

Greg, there were 2 Mini exotic Cheetah transkits on ebay this weekend. One Sold, n one didn't. Just keep an eye out.

[afx]

And HRM is still producing his full detail kit.

[Exotics_Builder]

And a very good kit.  Waiting to build after the move.  Was even debating adapting to the Stacey David variation with a 454LSX engine with modern FI.  To a lot, too steep a price. 

 

[Howard Cohen]

Modelhaus made a curbside Cheetah a few years ago, very basic, I don't think a big seller. I built it but I have never seen another one built. Maybe there is just not enough interest outside this forum  

[Greg Myers]

Build it, and they will come. 

[Greg Myers]

http://www.redfroghobbies.com/products.php?cat=62&scat=334&prodline=Historic_Racing_Miniatures

The problem with all of these examples, not that they aren't worthy, is price, availability and media. Make it plastic and affordable.

Edited June 3, 2016 by Greg Myers

[Ace-Garageguy]

I wonder what the market really would be for a good styrene Cheetah. I know I'd buy multiples, 'cause I think it's one of the trickest little race cars ever built.

There are many build options, as the things were road-raced AND drag raced...kinda like Cobras and Corvettes.

Seems like a lot of people who buy styrene Cobras and older Vettes would be potentials, and certainly anyone who's into historic or vintage race cars.

[Greg Myers]

They sure were popular with the slot car world back in the day. 

https://www.google.com/search?q=cox+cheetah+slot+cars&espv=2&biw=989&bih=753&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjjzI-fmYzNAhVIJCYKHcaNAVkQ_AUICCgD#imgrc=_

[Draggon]

Those Cox Cheeta slot cars were also made as model kits, although basically what we would call curbside today. I have most of all of one that I saved from when it was new. I peruse ebay often looking for the missing pieces. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

One thing that doesn't look all that promising, market-wise, is that the spectacular Accurate Miniatures Grand Sport Corvettes and McLarens apparently weren't all that successful.

I've never understood that, as I bought multiples of both, and fairly recently bought ten more of the Corvettes as "incomplete" kits...real cheap...just missing the PE and decals.

[afx]

Being a builder of vintage race cars almost exclusively, I know first hand how little attention these subjects garner.  Hoping for a mainstream kit manufacturer to produce this car is very long shoot.  My recommendation if you are really interested in this car is grab the excellent HRM kit, while it is still available and be thankful that you have any kit option at all.

[Ace-Garageguy]

 My recommendation if you are really interested in this car is grab the excellent HRM kit, while it is still available and be thankful that you have any kit option at all.

Probably excellent advice. Think I'll take it.   

[RancheroSteve]

Those Cox Cheetah slot cars were also made as model kits, although basically what we would call curbside today.

To my eyes, it appears that all the aftermarket/resin Cheetahs (Mini Exotics, Modelhaus, and HRM) were based off the Cox slotcar/static body. The Cox bodies of that time - Cheetah, Lotus 40, Chaparral, etc. - were really well done.

[Greg Myers]

Wonder where the molds went ? 

[Ace-Garageguy]

The Cox slotcars are often bringing more money than the full-detail HRM kits.

[AC Norton]

.....I would very much doubt one of the kit makers would touch this.....its a car that has appeal to a small market segment in comparison to so much subject matter that hasn't been produced yet.......just my 2 cents...the Ace...

[1930fordpickup]

Just a guess . Maybe the cost of the licence for the Chevy engine and the Cheetah's body manufacture might be a problem.  

I would buy a few but that does not make up for the cost of the tooling. 

[russosborne]

The Cox Cheetah slot car was my favorite body style back then. Course I was like 8.

While the HRM kit is great, the price is way beyond what I could ever afford or justify for a model kit. And I doubt I am the only one. I would love a nice styrene kit, but agree it will probably never happen. Unfortunately.

But then who'd ever have thought 10 years ago that we would have mass produced Hudson model kits?

Russ

[Howard Cohen]

FYI...I have been checking the race records of Cheetah cars and I can't find any records. There are a few races listed where it ran but no records of it finishing or winning a race. I can't see any kit manufacturer making a kit of a losing car. 

[Art Anderson]

I wonder what the market really would be for a good styrene Cheetah. I know I'd buy multiples, 'cause I think it's one of the trickest little race cars ever built.

There are many build options, as the things were road-raced AND drag raced...kinda like Cobras and Corvettes.

Seems like a lot of people who buy styrene Cobras and older Vettes would be potentials, and certainly anyone who's into historic or vintage race cars.

Correct.   The Bill Thomas Cheetah was fairly obscure even in 1965-66, when Cox brought out their slot car kits.  They had the reputation of being quite fast on the straightaways, but being front engined cars right at the time of the "rear engine revolution", they were pretty much outclassed on any road course.  Of course, the disastrous fire that destroyed the shop where they were built did the car no favors either.

Would a model kit of this sell today?  Very doubtful--as most race cars of the 1960's are even more obscure today, some 50 years later, at least for the majority of model builders.   

Art

[Ace-Garageguy]

...The Bill Thomas Cheetah was fairly obscure even in 1965-66, when Cox brought out their slot car kits.  

...Would a model kit of this sell today?  Very doubtful--as most race cars of the 1960's are even more obscure today, some 50 years later, at least for the majority of model builders.   

Yeah, that's it in a nutshell. Not many people even know what the thing is...or why it's supremely cool.

On a practical note regarding the real cars, the not-great handling could have been sorted with enough development time and money. The car was essentially front-mid-engined, and this configuration, though unusual, has demonstrated itself to be capable of competitive race performance in a variety of classes.

Results that proved the viability of the concept include the Panoz LMP-1's 5th overall LeMans placing in 2000 and again in 2003, and the subsequent Panoz Esperante GT-LM win in GT2 at LeMans in 2006.

[RancheroSteve]

FYI...I have been checking the race records of Cheetah cars and I can't find any records. There are a few races listed where it ran but no records of it finishing or winning a race. I can't see any kit manufacturer making a kit of a losing car. 

Part of the reason was that they never made enough Cheetahs for them to be homologated as production cars, so it had to run in the Modified class, which at the time was beginning to be dominated by mid-engined cars that were far more sorted.

I've also read that the designers of the Cheetah were intending it to be more of a street driven sports car and so it lacked sufficient chassis stiffness, among other issues. But all in all, a cool car that never reached it's full potential.

[Greg Myers]