A 1960s-era exotic found a new owner on Bring a Trailer the other day who agreed to pay whopping $520,000 for it. Known as the Bill Thomas Cheetah, it’s an exceptionally rare and desirable classic from a production run of two dozen or so units.
Back in the ‘50s, American engineer Bill Thomas helped General Motors design and build track-ready Chevrolet Corvettes. In 1960, he decided to open his own auto shop to build race cars using the connections and experience he received in his GM years. Backed by Chevrolet’s sports car department executive Vince Piggins and major auto parts vendor Don Edmunds, he created the car seen here, dubbed the Cheetah.
It featured a lightweight chrome-molybdenum frame, rode on per-wheel suspension and had its cabin installed close to the rear axle in a controversial design decision that most automakers of that era had sone away with. The powertrain was sourced from a second-generation Corvette and delivered between 250 and 375 American horsepower (186–280 kilowatts) depending on the tune. The car was soon known as the “Ferrari killer”.
In a strike of misfortune, Bill Thomas’ shop in California fell victim to a fire that put him out of business in 1965. Different sources claim he had managed to deliver between 19 and 23 Cheetah units before it happened. The example sold on BaT the other day came equipped with fiberglass body panels and 15-inch Torq-Thrust wheels shod in Firestone rubber. It also had no engine straight from the shop, but was later retrofitted with a robust V8 mated to a four-speed manual gearbox. We don’t have all the details, but whoever forked over $520,000 for the rarity must have loved it regardless of any aftermarket modifications.
