As should I go for the Pumpkin, Mincemeat or Cheesecake
for Dessert? Uhm, may be a slice of All three, Wee-wee Mademoiselle, Mon
Cherrie?
Ah, the Aroma ‘O Stuffing, did somebody say
Stuffing? Uhm, Turkey, Pigskin and Pumpkin pie. Now All we need is a Chevrolet Corvette
or three and Apple pie? Oopsdaisy, Think that’s a different Holiday?
As what better way to celebrate Turkey-Lurkey
Day this year than with three vastly different topics wrapped around three
slices ‘o Americana, Uhm Uhm Finger lickin’ good? As here’s the Main course
Folks…
Cunningham Crusader’s
Although I never know when they’ll be on,
meaning I miss many of their TV Airings, recently I caught two episodes of
Motortrend TV’s Autobiography over thou Halloween weekend. The first was about
Briggs Cunningham taking three 1960 Corvette’s to Circuit de la Sarthe at Le Mans,
France. As this was the first year ever that those Thunderin’ front engine American V-8’s raced in le 24 Heurs du
Mans. (61 years ago)
Whilst the second
episode was All about that Manson Fellah’ and those Beach Boys Ferraris…
Funny, but when I think of Briggs Cunningham
and Le Mans, for reasons unknown, I invariably think about his earlier creations,
most notably his le Monster! When Briggs ran a pair of modified Cadillacs in the 1950 event. Although I tend
to forget that Cunningham was also a prestigious racer, and I believe this was
the first of his many outings at Le Mans as a driver, then Age 43.
And whilst I tend to only think of Briggs
Automotive accomplishments, arguably his biggest claim to fame was Skippering the
winning yacht Columbia in the 1958 America’s Cup challenge.
Messer Cunningham led the most privileged ‘O
life’s, having come from a family of considerable wealth, beginning with his
Grandfather’s River Boating and Shipping concerns. As his father Briggs Sr.
moved from the Meat Packing business, later becoming President and Founder of
the Citizens National Bank, Director of the Pennsylvania Railroad and later
Chief Financier of the Proctor and Gamble Company.
And that was before marrying into further Money
when tying nuptials with Lucy Bedford, an heiress of the Standard Oil Company, her
Grandfather E.T. Bedford being a Co-Founder and Director of the Oil Company! As
Briggs attended his very first motor racing event, the 1930 Monaco Grand Prix
on their Honeymoon.
Briggs ran his own Car Company aptly called BS
Cunningham Cars between 1950-55 before shuttering it, due to running Afoul of IRS
Tax laws requiring Boutique Constructors to show a profit after five years of
business.
As Cunningham campaigned his team’s Cunningham C Designation racecars,
the C2R-C6R at Le Mans with modest results, before the catastrophe of the 1955
24 Hours of Le Mans along with his Tax issues saw him taking a brief respite
from motor racing.
Wasn’t aware that Briggs was a founding member
of the American Racing Club Association, )ARCA) the forebearer to today’s SCCA,
but do know that Cunningham entered cars won the 1954-55 Sebring 12 Hours events,
arguably his biggest accomplishment in racing…
And whilst Cunningham made his last appearance
as a racing driver at Le Mans in 1963, then 56 years old. The focus of the Autobiography TV show was
upon the three 1960 Corvette’s he entered for that year’s 24 Heurs du Mans,
with the cars being numbered 1-2-3.
As these chassis were extensively modified as
the Godfather of Corvettes Zora Arkus-Duntov just so happened to have an experimental
283cid Small Block V-8 with Rodchester Fuel Injection on his Hands that he
wanted tested in racing competition. Even though General Motors (GM) along with
the other major American Manufacturers had pledged not to participate in Motor
Racing as part of the AMA Ban following the 1955 Le Mans tragedy.
The TV show basically retraces the history of
each car by denoting them according to their racing number at Le Mans. As the
No. 2 car was the first to be reclaimed and is in the hands of noted Car Collector
Bruce Meyer, who claims his is the most “Authentic” car since it was restored using
many original parts.
If I remember correctly? Since it’s been awhile
now and I didn’t scribble any notes immediately afterwards. The No. 1 car caught
on fire at Le Mans and then was subsequently discovered in a Wrecking Yard!
The No. 3 Le Mans Corvette was the most elusive
and hardest to find, before finally being uncovered when a 70,000sq ft Warehouse
was being Cleaned out over a decade ago.
Coolest part about the #3 chassis was that
after it was restored, it went back to Le Mans for the Vette’s 50th
Anniversary complete with then 91 year old John Fitch at it’s controls! As Fitch
and Co-Driver Bob Grossman had finished eighth Overall and 1st in
Class in 1960!
Although I’m slightly Cornfused, since apparently
John Fitch Died at the Age of 95 on October 31, 2012, which would have only
been two years later…
As Y’all can read my previous No Fenders attempt
at briefly chronicling Corvette’s History at Le Mans in the following story
link below.
http://www.nofenders.net/2019/07/retro-celebrating-americas-sports-car.html
Or you might enjoy
this Youtube video of Bruce Meyer with another of his Corvette racecars, the
Nasty ’09 C6.R…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iggdcWBl2OI
