1955 Cunningham C-6R Roadster

The C-6R was Briggs Cunningham's last valiant attempt to beat the Europeans at Le Mans. After four years with Chrysler engined cars, Briggs switched to Offenhauser power for his new car which proved somewhat problematic to say the least. Turning an Indy engine into a long-distance sports car unit meant modifying it to burn gasoline instead of methanol which eventually proved the car's downfall as the engine never ran cool enough. At Le Mans in 1955, Briggs drove the C-6R with Sherwood Johnston but due to the cooling problem, the car retired after 202 laps. 1955 was the last year that Cunningham ran his own car at Le Mans and after that year's tragic accident, Briggs didn't return to the circuit until 1960. The C-6R was the final car to be built by Cunningham at West Palm Beach. Briggs Cunningham closed his production company but, in the words of his friend and team driver, John Fitch, 'with one rather fragile dynamometer, a crew of 40 men, the back roads of Florida for a test track and considerable quantities of his own money, Briggs Cunningham proved that America could be a contender in international sports car racing.' One man's dedication, enthusiasm, and resources had indeed come very close to winning Le Mans.