Cunningham 1952-1954 - Self-construction of a track and field athlete

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Cunningham 1952-1954 - Self-construction of a track and field athlete

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Created in 2015

Text:

Roger Gloor

Photos:

The Collier Collection

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Greg Guggenheim

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Mathieu Heurtault - Courtesy Gooding & Company

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Archiv Automobil Revue

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Kimball Studios

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Steve Burton

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Archivbild

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Bruno von Rotz

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RM Auction Ned Jackson

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Courtesy RM Auctions

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Dunlop

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Archiv

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Cunningham (1953) - Vignale elegance on an American chassis - at the Geneva Motor Show in 1953

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Cunningham (1953) - the closed convertible from Vignale - at the Geneva Motor Show in 1953

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Cunningham C4 (1952) - the elegant coupé from Vignale

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Cunningham C3 (1952) - the design by Michelotti

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Cunningham Chrysler Firepower Cabriolet Vignale (1952) - based on a sketch by Giovanni Michelotti

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Cunningham C3 Convertible (1953) - offered as lot 252 at the RM Amelia Island Auction 2009

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Cunningham C-3 with Vignale bodywork at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elégance 2015

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Cunningham C-3 Coupé (1952) - offered as lot 021 at the Gooding & Company auction vno Scottsdale on January 17/18, 2014

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Cunningham C-3 Coupé (1952) - offered as lot 021 at the Gooding & Company auction in Scottsdale on January 17/18, 2014

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Cunningham C-3 Competition Coupe Prototype (1952) by Peter Hosmer - Class P - Postwar Cunninghams

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Cunningham C-3 West Palm Beach Coupé (1952) - offered at the RM Auction in Monterey on August 19 and 20, 2011

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Cunningham C5-R (1953) at Le Mans 1953 - Le Mans 1953, Phil Walters in the Cunningham C5-R

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Cunningham C5-R (1953) at Le Mans 1953 - test laps on an airfield

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Cunningham C4-RK Coupe (1952) at Le Mans 1952 - Phil Walters in the Cunningham C4-RK in the coupe designed by the German aerodynamicist Wunibald Kamm (Kamm-Heck).

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Cunningham C5-R (1953) at Le Mans 1953 - Le Mans 1953, the race track led in part directly past fans who spent the night at the track in tents.

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Cunningham C4-R (1953) - The overall winner of 1953 - Briggs Cunningham's #57 with Phil Walters and John Fitch (12 Hours of Sebring 1953)

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Cunningham C4-RK Coupe (1952) - C4-RK in the Collier Museum

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Cunningham sports cars competed in two separate classes

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Cunningham C-5R Roadster (1953) from The Revs Institute for Automotive Research - winner of the Briggs Cunningham Trophy

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Cunningham C4R (1952) - according to Briggs Cunningham, this is what a sports car should look like (Techno Classica 2013)

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Briggs Cunningham at Le Mans 1952 (still from the official film about Le Mans 1952)

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Cunningham C3 Convertible from 1953, (Carr. Vignale; V8, 5426 cm3, 223 hp)

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Summary

There were around 10,000 car brands and designers - most of them have disappeared. Cunningham is one of the brands that are unknown today. The successful American track and field athlete and sailor Briggs Swift Cunningham switched to motor racing in 1930. 10 years later, he competed in Le Mans for the first time with his own design. In addition to racing sports cars, sports cars for the road were also produced from 1951 onwards.

Estimated reading time: 3min

Preview (beginning of the article)

In 1930, the successful American track and field athlete and sailor Briggs Swift Cunningham turned to motor racing. Ten years later, he combined his own sports cars from tried and tested parts, and after another decade he entered a team for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The race cars were based on Cadillac V8 models. With the C2-R (1951), C4-R (1952-54) and C6-R (1955) built on them, 14 victories resulted in the USA and 4th place overall and a class victory at Le Mans in 1952. In addition to the racing two-seaters, the B. S. Cunningham Co., founded in West Palm Beach, Florida, in 1951, designed the C3 road sports model from 1952. On its tubular frame chassis, the coachbuilder Vignale in Turin built light-alloy coupés with a three-seater bench and later also convertibles. The design created by Giovanni Michelotti was similar to some of the Ferrari 212s that were built at the same time, although the Cunningham was given an unmistakable radiator grille consisting of two dozen vertical, inwardly curved bars in a massive horizontal chrome oval. As in the racing versions, the 5.4-liter Chrysler Firepower V8 was used. With four Zenith downdraft carburetors, it initially produced 213 and later 223 hp. The 3-speed manual transmission and the 3-speed automatic transmission Fluide Torque Drive from Chrysler were available. The rigid Chrysler rear axle was upgraded with coil springs and a Panhard rod. By 1954, 18 C3 Continental coupés and eight convertibles had been built.

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