1968 Volkswagen Cheetah

1968 Volkswagen Cheetah

The 904, (officially named the Carrera GTS), was specifically manufactured by Porsche in 1962 to compete in the FIA-GT class. The ladder frame chassis hosted a mid-mounted flat-four engine that produced 198hp with a beautifully sculpted fiberglass body perched on top. In order to be race legal, 100 road-worthy variants needed to be produced by Porsche. In 1964 the road legal 904 came out with a list price of $7,245 and 106 units were released for public consumption, though demand far exceeded the 106 cars Porsche willingly produced.

The paperwork says it's a Volkswagen Cheetah, however our expert panel here at Classic Auto Mall, want to step in and say it is much more like a Beck Porsche 904 replica and its bathed in Ford GT 40 Gulf livery. We are unsure if the actual manufacturer, however it is an interesting kit car on a VW frame and utilizing the rear engine.

ExteriorIn Porsche 904 style the racy low front end has covered aero headlights. A long low front end races rearward to a tinted swept back windshield and gull wing doors on either side. To access the engine and rear suspension the entire back of the race car hinges from the end of the roof panel rearward. The back panel angles sharply but gracefully down and inward for more aero looks. The round GT-40 style taillights are on either corner. All the fiberglass is bathed in Gulf Blue with the orange racing stripe that begins below the front grille eventually forming a stripe that runs through the center of the car. A small tinted vertical glass window on the back has deep "flying buttress" B pillars to frame it on either side. New racing tires wrap Porsche style edge bolted 7 spoke alloy wheels on all 4 corners.

InteriorKeeping it simple and lightweight for the interior, we see black racing bucket seats with red 5-point racing belts. Black carpeting covers the floors and also this racer has a black headliner. Upfront a simple centrally located dash panel houses a tachometer, a few other gauges, and a backup camera screen. Exiting is through the gullwing wing doors, which are also covered in black vinyl, have a simple pull on them. Another interesting aspect of this car is a removable steering wheel which if you are over 5 feet 6 inches you'll need this feature to get in!

DrivetrainA 1776cc VW 4-cylinder engine is on back and has some upper mounted cooling fans on top. Dual Weber carbs feed this engine and a custom exhaust and an automatic transmission help this modified car move forward efficiently.

UndercarriageUnderneath us very clean, fiberglass tubs, rockers, and the VW steel framing. Now on are Porsche 914 F brakes in disc form and a Porsche steering mechanism. New front shocks and rear coil over shocks are on, and all is very clean underneath this car.

Drive-AbilityIt starts right up and after a bit of a climb in it was off to the test track. Here it's performed like well...A VW! Nice handling, and just a fun driver you'll feel like you are ready to take on the Scuderia at LeMans. Nice fiberglass that will never rust, and the reliable VW 4-cylinder, is racing on a low cost for gas budget.

An interesting build looking like the Porsche 904 with Ford GT40 Gulf livery. All fiberglass, and a sweet looker for a fraction of the cost!

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 600 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display.This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.