What years did Chevy make the Cheetah?
The Chevrolet Cheetah was not a mass-produced Chevrolet model. It was a limited-run race car developed in the early 1960s with factory backing, built and raced by Bill Thomas’s shop and its partners. The program ran roughly from 1963 through 1966, with two main iterations often cited by historians and collectors.
Origins and scope
The Cheetah emerged from a collaboration between Bill Thomas and Chevrolet, designed to compete at the top levels of sports-car and endurance racing. Rather than a production road car, it was a purpose-built racer assembled in small numbers, intended to showcase American engineering in a globally visible arena.
Key phases of the program, focused on the years the car was actively developed and raced:
- 1963 — The first Cheetah chassis and initial prototypes are prepared, marking the formal start of the project.
- 1964 — The car makes its racing debut and enters selected events under Chevrolet’s observational support.
- 1965 — The Mark I configuration evolves toward the Mark II variants, with ongoing development aimed at improving performance.
- 1966 — The factory-backed effort winds down, and remaining cars are operated by private teams or retired from active competition.
These items reflect a contested, milestone-driven arc: a bold concept in early 1960s American racing that never became a mass-produced automobile, but rather a handful of highly visible race cars.
Variants and production details
Collectors and historians commonly discuss two main configurations associated with the program: Mark I and Mark II. While exact production numbers vary by source, the consensus is that Chevrolet’s involvement produced only a limited run—far from a conventional production line—before the program concluded in the mid-1960s.
- Mark I (early to mid-1960s): The original racing-specification chassis and body styling used at the outset of the program.
- Mark II (mid-1960s): An updated variant introduced as the project matured, incorporating refinements to aerodynamics and power delivery.
In practice, the Cheetah remained a specialized, limited-build project rather than a consumer vehicle, existing primarily in racing and collector contexts rather than showroom floors.
Summary
The Chevrolet Cheetah was active from roughly 1963 through 1966, conceived as a limited-run race car rather than a mass-produced Chevrolet model. Developed with Bill Thomas and Chevrolet support, it is remembered as a bold but short-lived chapter in GM’s performance history, yielding a handful of cars that remain highly prized by collectors today.
What was the top speed of the Chevy Cheetah?
215 mph
and a top speed of 215 mph! Shelby's big block 427 Cobra had a top speed of 185 mph…. sadly, only 23 Cheetahs were produced, making it unable to compete against theCobras in the “ production” class…they made the Cheetah run in the modified class, and it kicked some serious ass.
What engine did the Chevy Cheetah have?
Small-Block V8
| Bill Thomas Cheetah | |
|---|---|
| Layout | Front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 327 cu in (5.4 L) Small-Block V8 |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual |
Did the Chevy Cheetah beat the cobra?
Sadly, the Cheetah never got to go head to head with the Cobra in a high-profile, officially sanctioned competition during its heyday.
When did the Cheetah first appear?
Cheetahs first appeared on Earth around 4 million years ago, with fossil records of related species appearing in both the Old World and North America. The modern cheetah (Acinonyxcap A c i n o n y x𝐴𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑦𝑥 jubatusj u b a t u s𝑗𝑢𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑠) emerged in Africa around 1.9 million years ago, while extinct, larger cheetahs existed in Eurasia as early as 3.8 million years ago.
- Earliest ancestors: The cheetah lineage began to diverge from related cat species around 6 to 8 million years ago, likely in North America.
- Ancient fossils: Fossil records of related species date back approximately 4 million years ago from locations in North America, Africa, and Asia.
- Early ancestors in Eurasia: Fossils of giant cheetahs (A.pardinensiscap A point p a r d i n e n s i s𝐴.𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠) have been found in Eurasia and Africa, dating back about 3.8 to 1.9 million years ago.
- Modern cheetah appearance: The modern cheetah (Acinonyxcap A c i n o n y x𝐴𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑦𝑥 jubatusj u b a t u s𝑗𝑢𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑠) appeared in Africa around 1.9 million years ago.
- Genetic bottleneck: A significant genetic bottleneck occurred about 100,000 years ago, drastically reducing the species' population and genetic diversity.
