Cunningham Sports Car Books

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Cunningham Sports car books cover the history of Briggs Cunningham and his cars.

Briggs Swift Cunningham II was a racing car constructor, driver and team owner; also a sports car manufacturer (1951-1955) and automobile collector.

DEAN BATCHELOR

Cunningham: The Life And Cars Of Briggs Swift Cunningham by Dean Batchelor (1993) is the biography of a man, his cars and his racing exploits. He made his name racing automobiles from Sebring to Le Mans. He built his own line of Cunningham Sports and Racing Cars.

R M CLARKE

Cunningham Automobiles 1951-1955 by R M Clarke (1993). These cars were the fulfillment of a dream for Briggs Cunningham. Two years before the Corvette Cunningham had built the C1 with Chrysler's hemi-head V8 and a tubular chassis. The C2 was entered in the 1951 Le Mans and a road version came in the same year. The C3 had a touring body by Vignale but Cunninghams never sold in large enough quantities and the operation was closed down during 1955. This is a book of contemporary road tests, specification and technical data, model introductions and race reports. Models covered include:- C2, C3, C4R, C4RK, C5R, C6R, Continental CoupT and Convertible.

KARL LUDVIGSEN

Cunningham Sports Cars: American Racing Legends 1951-1955 by Karl Ludvigsen (2003) Briggs Cunningham began in 1951 with his Chrysler-powered C-2 sports-racers and in 1952 launched the production C-3, a Vignale-bodied car built as both a coupe and cabriolet. Some two dozen were made. The C-4R was his 1952 racer, still Chrysler-powered, which performed well at Le Mans and with Phil Walters and John Fitch was all but unbeatable in American racing. Radical with its solid-axle front end and colossal drum brakes, the C-5R of 1953 was a challenger to the Jaguars at Le Mans. In 1954 Cunningham raced a much-modified Ferrari with water-cooled brakes and in 1955 introduced his C-6R, beautifully engineered by Briggs Weaver and Offenhauser powered.