Cheetah Racing Cars


Cheetah Racing Cars was a prolific Australian manufacturer of race cars. The cars were almost solely designed, engineered and constructed by Brian Shead in a small factory at the rear of his home in Mordialloc, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia.

History

The first Cheetah was built for Shead's personal use in 1960. It was a 'Cooper Copy' built to race in Formula Junior. A second Cheetah was built in 1962 and third in 1963. A completely new design was commenced in 1970, after which a friend persuaded Shead to construct an additional car, Mk4H Hill-climb car powered by an Oldsmobile V8 engine. By 1973 Shead gave up his usual job to design and build race cars full-time. The final car was produced in 1989, being a Mk9 for use in Formula Holden. Cars were constructed for Formula Junior, Formula Libre, Hillclimbing, Australian Formula 3, Australian Formula 2, Australian Formula 1 and Formula Holden. Cheetah Race Cars dominated Formula Three during the 1970s and in Australian Formula 2 they were the dominant manufacturer during the late 1970s and most of the 1980s. In Formula Holden, the sole Cheetah built for the category in 1989 was still competitive in the mid-1990s against far newer carbon fibre cars built by Ralt and Reynard.
Brian Shead also built one car that was not an open wheeler, being a Cheetah Clubman built for the Sports 1300 racing category. It was raced by Peter Jones, winning 132 races, including seven New South Wales titles and three Victorian titles.
Cheetah race cars are common sights at Australian historic race meetings, hill climbs, sprints and in Australian Formula 2 and Formula-R. In the latter two categories, Cheetah Mk7 and Mk8s which were built in the late 1970s and early 1980s are still winning races and championships against far newer carbon fibre tubbed Dallara and Reynard Motorsport cars.
Although Cheetahs are no longer manufactured, Shead is still actively involved with Cheetah race cars, supplying parts and advice to Cheetah owners.

Models

Championships & Series

Lap Records

TrackDistanceClassDriverCarYearTime
Symmons Plains2.4 kmAF2Jonathan CrookeCheetah Mk8 - Judd Golf VW9/3/198654.73s
Baskerville2.01 kmAF2Jonathan CrookeCheetah Mk8 - Judd Golf VW16/3/198650.24s
Surfers Paradise3.2 kmAF2Jonathan CrookeCheetah Mk8 - Judd Golf VW18/5/19861m07.3s
Oran Park2.62 kmAF2Jonathan CrookeCheetah Mk8 - Judd Golf VW8/6/19861m05.8s
Lakeside2.4 kmAF2Jonathan Crooke / Arthur AbrahamsCheetah Mk8 - Judd Golf VW15/6/198650.6s
Sandown3.9 kmAF2Arthur AbrahamsCheetah Mk8 - Golf VW14/9/19861m40.2s
Amaroo Park1.946 kmAF2Arthur AbrahamsCheetah Mk8 - Golf VW21/6/198746.52s
Winton Motor Raceway - Short Circuit2.03 kmAF2Arthur AbrahamsRansberg Cheetah Mk8 - Golf VW-/12/198856.9600s
Eastern Creek Raceway3.93 kmAF2Arthur AbrahamsRansberg Cheetah - Golf VW25/08/19911m29.3500s
Wakefield Park2.2 kmAF2Craig SmithCheetah Mk8 - Golf VW16/09/200159.0361s
Adelaide International Raceway2.41 kmAF2Peter GloverCheetah - Golf VW??52.5