Back to back: Europa or Cheetah?

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Racing cars from the 1960s can be utterly attractive and two eye-catching examples are now offered in the same sale by auctioneer Henderson on June 25th at the Barber Motorsports Museum in Birmingham, Alabama. They originate from the US and the UK and are as far apart as the distance between these countries. Still, we wouldn’t find it particularly easy to have to choose between the two!

Lotus 47

First of them is a Lotus Europa, supposedly a real Type 47 in its full racing guise, including the signature Gold Leaf livery of the time. The 47 was a notorious Porsche-beater in its day, and this one might just do the same as its 1565cc four-cylinder engine is now good for no less than 192hp at 8,000rpm while it weighs well under 600kg and comes with close ratio Hewland 'box, racing clutch and flywheel and some very special suspension bits and pieces. It’s ready to race this season as it was previously used by a former SCCA and HSR champion. Oh ― and it’s not just a track toy! This Europa was shown at the Hilton Head concours twice!

Cheetah

That says something about its appeal, doesn’t it? So what could its American equivalent be? Well, the Cheetah certainly isn’t inferior to it. The iconic V8-powered racer, originally built in California by Bill Thomas between 1963 and 1966, still captures the imagination of many. It was the car to beat the Cobra (which it didn’t quite do in the end) but, like the Cobra, it’s still a model very popular to replicate. The one offered by Henderson auctioneers is a replica, too, and one that was seized by the bank recently! It comes with 1964 paperwork though and looks just superb outside, inside and underside with wide Crancar wheels with fat Goodyears, Offenhauser heads, side pipes and yellow interior. Judging by the stickers on its body it’s been entered in both races as concourses, too, just like the Lotus.

So, which of the two would you like to take out?

Words Jeroen Booij. Pictures Henderson Auctions.

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