1952 Cunningham C3 Roadster

Briggs Swift Cunningham was the son of a wealthy banker. He had a passion for speed and racing; beginning in 1940, he raced his 'Bu-Merc' - a modified Buick chassis with a Buick engine and Mercedes-Benz SSK bodywork. After World War II, he continued to step-up his racing efforts. In 1950, Cunningham entered a pair of Cadillac Series 60s in LeMans, finishing 10th and 11th overall.

In 1951, he developed his own racecar. It was dubbed the Cunningham C-1 and given Cadillac power. Due to Cadillac's lack of financial support, it saw very little track time. Chrysler, however, was willing to sell its Hemi V8s to Cunningham at a 40-percent discount. In 1952, the Cunningham C-2R made its debut, featuring a chassis developed from the C-1. The Chrysler Hemi engine provided plenty of power, however, the C-2 was hampered by its weight, DeDion rear axle, and 3-speed transmission that limited engine braking, resulting in additional wear on the drum brakes.

By this point in history, LeMans had established a new rule requiring manufacturers to homologate their racecars. The rule stated that at least 25 road-going units were required to be produced in order to participate in the race. Undeterred, Cunningham set out to create a street version of the C-2R, which was called the C-3. It was given a ladder-tube frame in a similar fashion to the C-2Rs, with an independent setup in the front and a live rear axle. Under the bonnet was a 331 cubic-inch Chrysler Hemi V8. One C3 was given a C2 before bodywork was turned over to Vignale in Italy. Vignale would complete the coachwork and send it to Cunningham's West Palm Beach factory for final fitment. The completed cars were then offered to the public at a price that was nearly three times the price of a Corvette. The Coupes had a price of $9,000, while the convertibles sold for $10,000. Just 25 examples of the C-3 were built; enough to satisfy the homologation requirements.

This particular example was sold new to Hilltop Trailer Sales in Evansville, Indiana. It was one of 14 C-3 chassis that were built but never given their Vignale coachwork. The car remained in the Midwest before eventually making its way to a Wisconsin farm, where it would remain - still without a body - for decades. The car was later discovered by its current caretaker. By this point in history, the farmer had fitted a radiator and a seat, and drove it on his farm. Most of the chassis's original parts, paint, brakes and suspension were still with the vehicle.

After acquiring the vehicle, the current caretaker began a complete restoration of the running gear. New coachwork in the style of the C-2R was fabricated in aluminum by coachbuilder Bill Leahy. The original engine was retained, albeit with a cracked block, which was replaced with another 331 CID Chrysler Firepower V8. The original semi-automatic transmission was replaced with a T-10 4-speed manual.

The restoration work was completed in 2012. It was featured in the Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival XXVIII in September of 2015 where it ran the re-enactment of the road course behind a C-4R that had competed there in period.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2016