Review of CoMod Lotus Carrera DIGITAL 132 Bill Thomas Cheetah "Aluminium Car" & "No. 11", 1964 (Art. Nos. 30648 & 30649)
Another one in chrome?
YES! Although, actually NO. Because they were never chrome-plated, but aluminum-coated. But in the CARRERA community, they've been called CHROM-XXX ever since the very first car (you can substitute the vehicle name for XXX). And there have been quite a few chrome-plated cars in recent years: It started with the legendary chrome Porsche (911 GT1 98), which was actually only intended as a test to see if something like that could be produced in series. It was then produced in small numbers in 1998 and then given away all over the world. But that would be a story in itself. It continued with the 132 300 SLR in 2001 and the two 124 streamlined racers, the AUTO UNION Type C and the MERCEDES W125. In 2003, the 132 Aston Martin Vanquish arrived as a production car, along with the very rare Bentley EXP 8, which, like the 911 GT1, never went on sale, but was given away to deserving dealers or could be won as a prize in the Carrera racing competitions. The 2004 DTM C-Class doesn't count among the classic CHROMs for me, as the car competed regularly in the DTM. The same applies to the DTM successors from 2006 and 2007.
But in 2006, four more special treats were released: For the press event to launch the following vehicles, Mercedes-Benz commissioned four vehicles: the CL Coupe, the E-Class, the SL, and the GL SUV. Each vehicle came in its own box with tracks; all four boxes together formed a complete racetrack.
Then it was over for a while, and it wasn't until 2013 that there was some more news in terms of shiny cars: exclusively for the 50th anniversary, a Porsche 911 was released in the middle of the year as a chrome model for the CARRERA Club, and the gold-plated 911 was given away all over the world at the toy fair.
And now, of course, there is the Bill Thomas Cheetah as an “aluminum car.”
Now, you might think the designers were out of ideas, especially since we've had a break from chrome cars for a few years. Far from it!!!!!!!!!!!
The vehicle really did exist. The Cheetah's body is, as is well known, made of fiberglass. However, the first two prototypes of the Cheetah were given aluminum bodies. One car was apparently sold to Chevrolet for research purposes, while the other, according to Bill Thomas, was owned by Sonny & Cher (for the youngsters in the forum: They were a singing couple in the '60s. Back in the days when music still came out of analog devices or boxes, and there were only records or tapes). Rumors speak of a third aluminum body. There are now a few replicas, but none of the original vehicles are said to exist anymore.
On the following page you will find some good pictures of the Alu-Cheetah and a short historical overview: www.gatsbyonline.com
There's not much to say about the model itself: My test vehicle was excellently executed (the "chrome plating" doesn't forgive even the slightest bit of junk), only the tire sidewalls, thanks to the fancy name, somewhat spoil the overall look. Thanks to its very wide tires and wide track, the Gepard sits like a board on the track and is difficult to throw off course. A great opponent for the Cobra, which, in my opinion, can't even come close to the Cheetah in terms of looks.
Have fun with the car!!!
Another one in chrome?
YES! Although, actually NO. Because they were never chrome-plated, but aluminum-coated. But in the CARRERA community, they've been called CHROM-XXX ever since the very first car (you can substitute the vehicle name for XXX). And there have been quite a few chrome-plated cars in recent years: It started with the legendary chrome Porsche (911 GT1 98), which was actually only intended as a test to see if something like that could be produced in series. It was then produced in small numbers in 1998 and then given away all over the world. But that would be a story in itself. It continued with the 132 300 SLR in 2001 and the two 124 streamlined racers, the AUTO UNION Type C and the MERCEDES W125. In 2003, the 132 Aston Martin Vanquish arrived as a production car, along with the very rare Bentley EXP 8, which, like the 911 GT1, never went on sale, but was given away to deserving dealers or could be won as a prize in the Carrera racing competitions. The 2004 DTM C-Class doesn't count among the classic CHROMs for me, as the car competed regularly in the DTM. The same applies to the DTM successors from 2006 and 2007.
But in 2006, four more special treats were released: For the press event to launch the following vehicles, Mercedes-Benz commissioned four vehicles: the CL Coupe, the E-Class, the SL, and the GL SUV. Each vehicle came in its own box with tracks; all four boxes together formed a complete racetrack.
Then it was over for a while, and it wasn't until 2013 that there was some more news in terms of shiny cars: exclusively for the 50th anniversary, a Porsche 911 was released in the middle of the year as a chrome model for the CARRERA Club, and the gold-plated 911 was given away all over the world at the toy fair.
And now, of course, there is the Bill Thomas Cheetah as an “aluminum car.”
Now, you might think the designers were out of ideas, especially since we've had a break from chrome cars for a few years. Far from it!!!!!!!!!!!
The vehicle really did exist. The Cheetah's body is, as is well known, made of fiberglass. However, the first two prototypes of the Cheetah were given aluminum bodies. One car was apparently sold to Chevrolet for research purposes, while the other, according to Bill Thomas, was owned by Sonny & Cher (for the youngsters in the forum: They were a singing couple in the '60s. Back in the days when music still came out of analog devices or boxes, and there were only records or tapes). Rumors speak of a third aluminum body. There are now a few replicas, but none of the original vehicles are said to exist anymore.
On the following page you will find some good pictures of the Alu-Cheetah and a short historical overview: www.gatsbyonline.com
There's not much to say about the model itself: My test vehicle was excellently executed (the "chrome plating" doesn't forgive even the slightest bit of junk), only the tire sidewalls, thanks to the fancy name, somewhat spoil the overall look. Thanks to its very wide tires and wide track, the Gepard sits like a board on the track and is difficult to throw off course. A great opponent for the Cobra, which, in my opinion, can't even come close to the Cheetah in terms of looks.
Have fun with the car!!!
