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It is our pleasure, on behalf of Briggs Swift Cunningham
III, to introduce to you the Cunningham C4R.
Briggs Swift Cunningham Jr., a wealthy American sportsman
and famed "America's Cup" winner (1958 - The Columbia), built
America's first modern sports car in 1950.
This definitive car, the Cunningham C-1, would set the
pattern not only for Cunningham's own C2R (early '51) and C4R (late '51)
sports cars, but for every American sports car from then on. The basic
concept established by Mr. Cunningham ("Mr. C") laid the groundwork
for America's two best known sports cars, the Corvette (1953) and Cobra
(1962). In fact, the fathers of the Corvette (Zora Arkus-Duntov) and the
Cobra (Carroll Shelby) both raced, and lost to, Cunninghams at Le Mans
(1950 - 54). After seeing the Cunninghams in action, they took his approach
with their own cars. Mr. C also pioneered the use of racing stripes as
part of the team "colors," an effect that has become a standard.
The most successful Cunningham cars were his C4Rs. This
was a ladder-framed, envelope body, two seater with a large displacement
overhead valve V8 engine and clearly inspired the better known Corvette
and Cobra. Even today's American sports cars owe their inspiration to the
Cunningham innovation. Chrysler Corporation certainly recognizes this and
places the ghostly image of a C4R Cunningham above their current sports
cars in some of their advertisements.
The three Cunningham C4Rs were built in West Palm Beach,
Florida in late 1951. Like most Cunninghams, they were powered by Chrysler's
mighty HEMI V8 and had almost 400 horsepower. They would race at Le Mans
for the next few years (where they could lap 8 miles an hour faster than
the race winning Jaguars) and would totally dominate American sports car
racing during the first half of the decade.
Cunningham Team Driver - Denise McCluggage
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The Cunningham Company 438 Lime Rock Road Lime Rock CT 06039 (888)
733-3687 (860) 435-6430 Fax - (860) 435-6429 e-mail edwardh@ct1.nai.net
©AutoPhotos 1997, Ed Hyman Consulting web
site or edwardh@ct1.nai.net
Photographs of The Cunningham C4R, Denise McCluggage, Lawrence Black,
B.S. Levy, John Fitch & Phil Walters taken at Lime Rock Park &
on the streets of Watkins Glen ©1997 AUTOPHOTOS - Ed Hyman