conceptcarz.com

Image credit: © conceptcarz.com (Reproduction Or reuse prohibited).

1952 Cunningham C3 West Palm Beach Coupe

  • Chassis Number: 5206X
In the early 1950s, Briggs S. Cunningham built racecars at his West Palm Beach factory. His goal was to produce an American racecar that could compete in the famous LeMans.

In 1952, he built a road car based on his C-2R racer and called it the C-3. The C-3, a two-door hardtop, is powered by an overhead-valve 331 cubic-inch, 220-horsepower, Chrysler engine. The car was designed by Giovanni Michelotti and bodied by Vignale Carrozzeria. The car weighed 2,800 lbs., sold for $10,000 to $11,442, and could attain a top speed of 138 mph. They had a tubular steel chassis and an independent front suspension and a complex De Dion-type rear. Less than 30 of these vehicles were produced.

There were just three Cunningham C-2Rs built and raced by Team Cunningham in 1951. All three Cunningham C-2Rs competed at Le Mans and continued to race with success in the US throughout 1951, driven by Phil Walters, John Fitch and Cunningham himself before being refitted as road cars and sold through Roger Barlow's International Motors in Los Angeles.

In 1951, Cunningham introduced the road-going C-3 model. This example, chassis number 5206X, is the only Cunningham C-3 coupe constructed entirely in Cunningham's West Palm Beach workshop. It is also the only example that was envisioned by Briggs for racing and touring. The chassis is recorded in Cunningham's production records as 'Work Order 6' and was the sixth Cunningham sports car constructed. The chassis is nearly identical to the C-2 competition cars with the addition of a roll bar built into the chassis. It was originally given the same independent front suspension and De Dion rear end as the competition cars. Under the bonnet, the 331 cubic-inch Chrysler Hemi engine was fitted with the competition modifications that included four Zenith carburetors on the Cunningham log manifold which gave it 220 horsepower. There is a Cadillac three-speed manual transmission and two-speed rear axle - the same setup as the competition C-2Rs.

While still under construction, the car was sold to Cunningham's friend Carl Kiekhaefer. When completed, the car was painted Brewster Green with a pleated leather bench seat, dash, and two-tone door panels covered in tan. It was equipped with a radio as well as the same full instrumentation, full bumpers, and modified grille as refitted to the competition C-2s prior to their sale.

Kiekhafer retained the car for only a short time, as it was not a very accommodating road-going car. The car was returned to the Cunningham shop in exchange for the first Vignale-bodied C-3 completed, which was also numbered s/n 5206.

The second owner of this car was George Schrafft of Boston and Florida. Before the car was delivered, it was fitted with a number of factory modifications which included replacing the bench seat with racing-style bucket seats. The De Dion rear end was exchanged for a live rear axle, and the original magnesium disc wheels were substituted with gear-drive wire wheels.

The car remained in Schrafft's care until 1958 when it was sold to Henry Desormeau who owned the car for 41 years. It was eventually given a restoration that included repainting it in the classic Cunningham colors of white with blue stripes. The work was completed shortly before Desormeau passed away in 1999.

Since there are two Cunningham vehicles with the 5206 serial number, a suffix 'X' was later assigned to this C-3 West Palm Beach coupe to differentiate the two cars.

In 2011, the car was offered for sale at the Monterey, CA, sale presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $675,000 - $875,000. Bidding reached $550,000 but was not enough to satisfy the car's reserve. It would leave the auction unsold.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2011

2011 RM Auctions at Monterey

Pre-Auction Estimates :
USD $675,000-USD $875,000 
High Bid (Lot was not sold)
USD $550,000

1952 Cunningham C3 Auction Sales

Recent Sales of the Cunningham C3

(Data based on Model Year 1952 sales)
1952 CUNNINGHAM C-3
Chassis#: 5236
Sold for USD$275,000
  2016 Bonhams : The Amelia Island Auction
1952 Cunningham C3 image  1952 Cunningham C3 image  
1952 Cunningham C3 Coupe by Vignale
Chassis#: 5208
Sold for USD$1,210,000
  2016 RM Sothebys : Arizona
1952 Cunningham C3 image  1952 Cunningham C3 image  
1952 Cunningham C-3 Coupe
Chassis#: 5210
Sold for USD$550,000
  2014 Gooding & Company - The Scottsdale Auction
1952 Cunningham C3 image  1952 Cunningham C3 image  
1952 Cunningham C-3 Coupe
Chassis#: IND 2011044
Sold for USD$407,000
  2013 Auctions America - California
 

Cunningham C3s That Failed To Sell At Auction

1952 Cunningham C3's that have appeared at auction but did not sell.
VehicleChassisEventHigh BidEst. LowEst. High
1952 Cunningham C-3 West Palm Beach Coupe5206X2011 RM Auctions at Monterey$550,000$675,000$875,000

Vehicles With Comparable Market Values

Similar sales to the $610,500 range.
1968 Ferrari 206 Dino GT
Chassis#:00298
Sold for $610,000
2024 Broad Arrow Auctions : Amelia
1952 Cunningham C3 vehicle thumbnail image  1952 Cunningham C3 vehicle thumbnail image  
1999 Mercedes-Benz SL 73 AMG
Chassis#:WDB1290761F186283
Sold for $610,000
2024 RM Sothebys : ModaMiami
2003 Saleen S7
Chassis#:1S9SB18193S000021
Sold for $610,000
2024 RM Sothebys : ModaMiami
1967 CHEVROLET YENKO SUPER CAMARO 427/450
Chassis#:124377N241474
Sold for $605,000
2024 Barrett-Jackson : Scottsdale AZ
1953 KINDIG CF1 CUSTOM ROADSTER
Chassis#:AZ388148
Sold for $605,000
2024 Barrett-Jackson : Scottsdale AZ
NICOLAS CAGES 1970 PLYMOUTH HEMI CUDA
Chassis#:BS23R0B184309
Sold for $605,000
2024 Barrett-Jackson : Scottsdale AZ
1936 SQUIRE 1 1/2 LITRE LIGHTWEIGHT
Chassis#:1052
Sold for $606,820
2023 Gooding & Company : London Auction
1960 Maserati 3500 GT Spyder 'Pre-Production' by Vignale
Chassis#:AM101 761
Sold for $610,000
2023 RM Sothebys : Monterey
1952 Cunningham C3 vehicle thumbnail image  1952 Cunningham C3 vehicle thumbnail image  
1986 Ford RS200 Evolution
Chassis#:SFACXXBJ2CGL00084
Sold for $615,500
2023 RM Sothebys : Monterey
1952 Cunningham C3 vehicle thumbnail image  1952 Cunningham C3 vehicle thumbnail image  
1974 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS
Chassis#:08502
Sold for $605,000
2023 Mecum : Monterey
1952 Cunningham C3 vehicle thumbnail image  
1953 Cunningham C3 Vignale Coupe
Chassis#:5211
Sold for $610,000
2023 Broad Arrow : Monterey Jet Center
1952 Cunningham C3 vehicle thumbnail image  1952 Cunningham C3 vehicle thumbnail image  
1970 Plymouth Hemi Superbird
Chassis#:rm23r0a162316
Sold for $605,000
2023 Mecum : Indy
2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS
Sold for $605,000
2023 Mecum : Glendale
1967 Ferrari 330 GTC by Pininfarina
Chassis#:10927
Sold for $610,000
2023 RM Sothebys : Amelia Island
1962 Aston Martin DB4 'Series V' Vantage Sports Saloon
Chassis#:DB4/1131/L
Sold for $615,173
2023 Bonhams : Les Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris
1970 PLYMOUTH HEMI SUPERBIRD
Chassis#:RM23R0A161572
Sold for $605,000
2023 Barrett-Jackson : Scottsdale, Az.
1997 PORSCHE 993 TURBO S
Chassis#:WP0AC2995VS375709
Sold for $605,000
2023 Barrett-Jackson : Scottsdale, Az.
1969 FORD MUSTANG BOSS 429
Chassis#:9F02Z173015
Sold for $605,000
2023 Barrett-Jackson : Scottsdale, Az.
1965 Aston Martin DB5
Sold for $605,000
2023 Mecum : Kissimmee
1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta by Scaglietti
Chassis#:14161
Sold for $610,000
2022 RM Sothebys : Monterey
1952 Cunningham C3 vehicle thumbnail image  

1952 Cunningham C3

Additional valuation insight and sales data
History
Specifications
Image gallery
Other Cunningham C3 model years

1952 Cunningham C3 Vehicle Profiles

1952 Cunningham C3 vehicle information
Coupe
Coachwork: Vignale
Designer: Giovanni Michelotti
1952 Cunningham C3 vehicle information
Coupe
Coachwork: Vignale
Designer: Giovanni Michelotti
1952 Cunningham C3 vehicle information
Roadster
Chassis #: 5236
1952 Cunningham C3 vehicle information
Coupe
Coachwork: Vignale
Designer: Giovanni Michelotti
Chassis #: 5208
1952 Cunningham C3 vehicle information
Coupe
Coachwork: Vignale
Designer: Giovanni Michelotti
Chassis #: 5210
Engine #: C52-8-8717