The Rooikat project started with 3 prototypes or concept vehicles:

Concept 1 - Ratel 8x8
Concept 2 - Eland 8x8
Concept 3 - Saracen 8x8.

Concept vehicle 2 was chosen and turned into Cheetah mk1. Out of this vehicle Rooikat was developed. At the same time as the rooikat prototype or Cheetah mk 2 was being build a second tendor went out for vehicles. The aim was to develope a heavier vehicle that was capable of carrying a 105mm L7 gun as it was unknown at this stage if the cheetah would be able to carry the 105mm L7. Two prototypes were developed:

TH 400
Bismarck

TH 400 was build by Thyssen Henschel of West Germany at Sandock Austral in 82-83 and had a 6x6 configuration with a road speed of 104km/h and a range if 1300km. It was armed with a high pressure 76mm gun. It had a torsion bar suspention system and was driven by a liquid cooled Mercedes Benz diesel engine. This was the prototype that dissapeared. (sorry about that, but Pierre told me that Cheetah mk 1 is also missing and he has no idea were it is)

Ok now to Bismarck. Bismarck was build by Sandock Austral with a german company providing the technology and design of the vehicle also in 82-83. It had a crew of 4 and weighed 41 tons. It was armed with a 105mm L7 gun, 2 7.62mm mgs and 8 81mm smoke launchers. It had a MTH (german engine) - V6 - 6396 turbo charged liquid cooled diesel producing 588kw at 2400 rpm. It had a ZF (also german but locally produced by gear ratio) 4PF2000 automatic transmission with 4 forward and one reverse gear. It had hydro neumatic suspention and reach a road speed of 86km/h and a range of 1000km.

Both prototypes were shelved in favour of cheetah mk 2 the prototype of which stand in front of big willy hall at the school of armor in bloem.

Pierre is working up a series of article on the Rooikat program in VEG for the next few issues. He is also planning to release a series of books on first the Olifant (april 2007), Rooikat (december 2007) and last the Ratel (april 2008). He follows he article in the magazine with in depth books on each of the vehicles.