Coachwork by Vignale

Engine - 331 cubic-inch “FirePower” V8
Transmission - Presto-Matic semi-automatic
Horsepower - 220 at 4000 rpm
Production - 5 convertibles produced

As the son of a prosperous Cincinnati financier and heir to the Swift meat packing business, Briggs Cunningham began his racing story by sailing yachts competitively at Yale University in the 1920s. During the 1930s, he engaged in international motor racing alongside his college companions Miles and Samuel Collier, founders of the Automobile Racing Club of America (later renamed the Sports Car Club of America.) In 1950, Cunningham entered two Cadillac Coupe DeVilles in the 24-hour Le Mans endurance race. Unfortunately, they finished 10th and 11th among the more exotic European cars that participated.

This early defeat fueled Cunningham's ambition to win, and motivated him to develop his own car - the Cunningham C-3. Le Mans rules at the time mandated that vehicles be based on production models, with a minimum of 25 units to be eligible. Thus the Cunningham C-3 was created. Cunningham developed the C-3 by pairing Chrysler's Hemi V8 engine with a racing chassis and bodywork from Vignale in Turin, Italy. Exclusively high-priced, the C-3 garnered the attention of prominent American customers like the Du Pont and Rockefeller families. By 1954, Briggs Cunningham had graced the cover of Time magazine with three of his Cunningham racers, symbolizing the values of "Horsepower, Endurance, Sportsmanship."

This example, sent to Vignale in Italy on February 3rd, 1953, returned to New York City a month later where it was showcased by Alfred Momo until the summer of 1954. Later that same year, avid racer and renowned book collector Irving Robbins purchased the vehicle and transported it to California. The C-3 was shown at the newly-formed Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 1956 and 1957 by Robbins (and again later in 2015.) After passing through several astute collectors and undergoing restoration, this Cunningham C-3 was eventually acquired by Briggs Cunningham’s daughter, Lucie, who enjoyed the car and allowed it to be displayed at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance in 2013. Of the 25 Cunningham C-3s produced in total, only five are convertibles such as this one.