1919 Cunningham Series V Roadster

The James Cunningham Company of Rochester, New York, was a relatively small firm but well known for its luxurious formal cars and hearses. Although racing was regarded as a little too flashy for the conservative company, Cunningham built a Speedster on its standard 132-inch Series V chassis to demonstrate the power of its V8 engine, which at the time was the largest capacity V8 in the United States. Then, in November 1919, the firm enlisted Ralph DePalma, one of the most respected racing drivers of the era, to do some discreet record-breaking at the Sheepshead Bay board track in Brooklyn. The car performed faultlessly, averaging 98 mph and setting three world records - and when the car was driven back to the factory, it shaved an hour off the previous New York-to-Rochester record. A few additional Speedsters were built to commemorate that achievement, but this is thought to be the original one. Owned by Briggs Cunningham for years and acquired by Miles Collier in 1984, the car made its first appearance at the Pebble Beach Concours in 2018.