Cunningham C7
Encyclopedia
The Cunningham C-7 Grand Touring car was first introduced to the public at the 2001 Detroit International http://www.canadiandriver.com/news/2001/010111-1.htm. Had it gone into production, the C-7 would have represented the most expensive and perhaps the finest performance vehicle America has ever produced. How it came into being is a small chapter in America's automotive history.
, one well-known American was aware of the rapid recovery of the European economy, especially the European automobile industry
. Within four years of war's end some European firms such as Ferrari, Maserati, Jaguar, Mercedes Benz
, Talbot, Aston Martin
, Bentley, etc., were already offering Grand Touring cars and sports car
s. This was high end automotive product, not "one offs" built for their respective home markets, but series production for export to the United States. Despite the fact that American machinery had won the war, this nation had nothing automotive to offer that was comparable to the Europeans even though America's industrial landscape had not been devastated by war.
Perhaps others had this same realization, that the industrial giant that America had become could not or would not offer anything comparable to a Ferrari or a Jaguar, but Briggs Swift Cunningham II
of Greens Farms, Connecticut
could do something about it since he was wealthy. His family had funded the founding of Procter and Gamble
, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
and the Bank of Ohio. Briggs Cunningham was proud of his country and he was convinced that America should build Grand Touring cars and American sports cars and that they could compete with the best from Europe.
, Briggs Weaver (former chief engineer of Indian Motorcycles), Phil Walters, a brilliant race car driver
and intuitive chassis designer, and John (Jack) Donaldson surrounded themselves with other fine craftsmen and fabricators and developed a line of extraordinary cars that put American cars
center on the World stage.
Together, they would produce a series of "firsts". The first modern American sports car, the C-1, was an aluminum bodied, front engined, V-8 powerhouse, a design that became the template for every American manufacturer from then on. And the first modern American Grand Touring car, the C-3, was seen as the equal of Europe's best, yet with a distinctive American flavor.
knew full well about Cunningham when he introduced the Cobra. In 1952, Shelby was driving for Aston Martin at Le Mans
against the C-4R and lost to them. Shelby even copied Cunningham's paint scheme
, which was white cars with two racing stripes, which Shelby reversed.
Cunningham's efforts were big news in America. At one point Briggs and his cars appeared on the front cover of Time Magazine
(April 26, 1954). The Time Magazine writer, thinking that the operation was financially successful, remarked to Briggs that he seemed to have made a small fortune from his motorsports efforts and asked him how he had done this. Briggs answered by saying "start with a large fortune".
Briggs also pursued his other love, competitive sailing. He went on to win the America's Cup
in 1958.
Lawrence (Larry) Black, a writer, manufacturing consultant, entrepreneur and former racer, recognized this, that America lacked a Grand Touring car and likely the best identity to attach to a modern Grand Touring car would be Cunningham, the builder of the last American Grand Touring car. Black approached a car enthusiast in Seattle, Washington
named Stephen Norman. Norman owned the BMW dealership in downtown Seattle
and he provided the initial capital for Black's efforts to resurrect Cunningham as an American auto manufacturer.
The first thing Black had to do was to secure the trademark and gain the Cunningham family's approval for the project. Contact with Mr. Cunningham's son was very positive. The founder, Briggs Swift Cunningham II, was elderly and in poor health, but his only son, Briggs Swift Cunningham III, was very interested. Briggs the Third was so interested he bought out Steve Norman's interest in the firm.
To accomplish this, Black sought advice from America's premier automotive journalist, David E. Davis
, the founder of Automobile Magazine
. Black asked Davis about Bob Lutz, who was well thought of in the enthusiast community. Davis advised Black about contacting Lutz, who was then President of Chrysler Corporation
. Chrysler had been the second engine supplier to Cunningham (after Cadillac) in the 1950s so this was an appropriate marriage. Once again, the reception was positive. It turned out that Lutz was a Cunningham enthusiast and even had a signed C-4RK race photograph in his office.
Cunningham efforts continued on other fronts as well. Black, now the managing partner of Cunningham, thought it crucial to establish creditability for the "new" Cunningham by once again building 1952 Cunningham C-4Rs. An operation to build continuation C-4Rs was formed in Lime Rock, CT, at the race track
designed and built by one of the original team drivers for Cunningham, John Fitch.
of what Cunningham had once been. Many auto and general interest publications sent correspondents to test the C4Rs being built in Lime Rock. including Car and Driver
, Automobile Magazine
, Road and Track
, Forbes, London's Sunday Times
, the New York Times
and a number of European car publications. The coverage for the resurrected C-4Rs was so intense and at the same time great interest was also being created in the upcoming modern Cunningham, now being called the C-7.
Interest too, was gathering for the "virtual car company" idea. Forbes Magazine
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2001/0430/106.html would later put Bob Lutz on their cover under the words "Bob Lutz's Secret". The real secret was how little money would have to be raised to launch the new company. Careful financial research predicted that a 80% savings would be realized over a conventional automobile start-up.
and Cunningham lost their automaker ally. Cunningham needed a big three sponsor again.
Efforts continued, since the basic idea of having the virtual company build an American Grand Touring car and marketing it under the Cunningham brand was inherently strong.
. Lutz said that he didn't know anyone at General Motors, so Davis arranged for Black and Lutz to meet with GM executives. This meeting served to remind GM that in 1950 Cunningham raced Cadillac based cars at Le Mans and the 50th anniversary of that was approaching.
Black was now consulting with Arv Mueller, the head of GM Powertrain
, on what would be the GM approach to a Cunningham powerplant. Once again, a V-12 configuration was selected as the market demanded an exotic engine in an exotic car. The precise layout came from Black, who requested a 60 degree angle between the two banks of cylinders. The reason for the request was simple. The exhaust note of a 60 degree V-12 is near musical and Black recalled hearing Ferrari race cars in his youth, all of which used 60 degree V-12s.
Lutz had selected a retired designer from Chrysler to draw the Cunningham C-7 exterior, but none of the his submissions appealed to Briggs or Black, so, once again, David E. Davis came to the rescue. When asked by Black who was the best independent designer in Detroit, Davis' immediate answer was Stewart Reed. Unknown to Black or Davis, Lutz was asking the same thing of his people and they gave the same answer. Stewart Reed it was.
and he and Black met with their principal, Kenny Yanez. Yanez agreed.
In the interim, Lutz had chosen another fabrication firm, but despite having been paid $750,000 in advance, they produced nothing. As a result, Reed and Black had to go back to Yanez and see if he could still do the project. Yanez again agreed and just days before the show, it was finished.
and Briggs Cunningham were forced out of the firm by Lutz and all that would result from those nine years of effort was a lawsuit http://www.caranddriver.com/features/03q1/cunningham_suit_aimed_at_lutz_and_gm-column. The cars were never built.
The beginning
Immediately after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, one well-known American was aware of the rapid recovery of the European economy, especially the European automobile industry
Automaker
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
. Within four years of war's end some European firms such as Ferrari, Maserati, Jaguar, Mercedes Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
, Talbot, Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
, Bentley, etc., were already offering Grand Touring cars and sports car
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
s. This was high end automotive product, not "one offs" built for their respective home markets, but series production for export to the United States. Despite the fact that American machinery had won the war, this nation had nothing automotive to offer that was comparable to the Europeans even though America's industrial landscape had not been devastated by war.
Perhaps others had this same realization, that the industrial giant that America had become could not or would not offer anything comparable to a Ferrari or a Jaguar, but Briggs Swift Cunningham II
Briggs Cunningham
Briggs Swift Cunningham II was an American entrepreneur and sportsman, who raced automobiles and yachts. Born into a wealthy family, he became a racing car constructor, driver, and team owner as well as a sports car manufacturer and automobile collector.He skippered the victorious yacht Columbia...
of Greens Farms, Connecticut
Greens Farms, Connecticut
Greens Farms is the oldest and seed neighborhood in the town of Westport in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States.-Boundary:The boundaries of the neighborhood, like those of most neighborhoods with no governmental status, are vague, but according to a New York Times article in 2001,...
could do something about it since he was wealthy. His family had funded the founding of Procter and Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
and the Bank of Ohio. Briggs Cunningham was proud of his country and he was convinced that America should build Grand Touring cars and American sports cars and that they could compete with the best from Europe.
West Palm Beach
The team he assembled was up to the task. Working from the Cunningham factory Briggs established in West Palm Beach, FloridaWest Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
, Briggs Weaver (former chief engineer of Indian Motorcycles), Phil Walters, a brilliant race car driver
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
and intuitive chassis designer, and John (Jack) Donaldson surrounded themselves with other fine craftsmen and fabricators and developed a line of extraordinary cars that put American cars
Passenger vehicles in the United States
Note: this article adopts the U.S. Department of Transportation's definition of a passenger vehicle, to mean a car or truck, used for passengers, excluding buses and trains....
center on the World stage.
Together, they would produce a series of "firsts". The first modern American sports car, the C-1, was an aluminum bodied, front engined, V-8 powerhouse, a design that became the template for every American manufacturer from then on. And the first modern American Grand Touring car, the C-3, was seen as the equal of Europe's best, yet with a distinctive American flavor.
The ultimate American car
Then, in 1952, came the definitive Cunningham, the C-4R http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/2151/Cunningham-C-4R.html, built in both coupe and roadster configurations. Powered by the original Chrysler 331 Hemi V-8, by the end of its development it was a 2400 pound, 400 horsepower demon. It would be ten years before another American sports car could challenge the C-4R for performance. The 427 Cobra, now an American performance icon, was directly inspired by the Cunningham C-4R. Carroll ShelbyCarroll Shelby
Carroll Hall Shelby is an American retired automotive designer and racing driver. He is most well known for making Mustangs for Ford Motor Company known as Mustang Cobras which he has done since 1965...
knew full well about Cunningham when he introduced the Cobra. In 1952, Shelby was driving for Aston Martin at Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
against the C-4R and lost to them. Shelby even copied Cunningham's paint scheme
Livery
A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...
, which was white cars with two racing stripes, which Shelby reversed.
Cunningham's efforts were big news in America. At one point Briggs and his cars appeared on the front cover of Time Magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
(April 26, 1954). The Time Magazine writer, thinking that the operation was financially successful, remarked to Briggs that he seemed to have made a small fortune from his motorsports efforts and asked him how he had done this. Briggs answered by saying "start with a large fortune".
The end of the beginning
Sadly, in 1955, Cunningham came to an end. Unable to turn a profit, Briggs closed the factory after producing just 37 cars. Briggs then established an incredibly successful race car team and Jaguar cars made him their eastern US distributor.Briggs also pursued his other love, competitive sailing. He went on to win the America's Cup
America's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
in 1958.
The modern Cunningham
Fast forward to 1993. Another American realized that little had changed since the 1950s. A successful person seeking to reward themselves with an exotic car had much the same choices in 1993 as they did forty years earlier. Ferrari, Aston Matin, Rolls or Bentley were on the shopping list but again there were no comparable American Grand Touring cars. Most automotive enthusiasts would maintain that the last true American Grand Touring car was the C-3 Cunningham from the early 1950s.Lawrence (Larry) Black, a writer, manufacturing consultant, entrepreneur and former racer, recognized this, that America lacked a Grand Touring car and likely the best identity to attach to a modern Grand Touring car would be Cunningham, the builder of the last American Grand Touring car. Black approached a car enthusiast in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
named Stephen Norman. Norman owned the BMW dealership in downtown Seattle
Downtown Seattle
Downtown is the central business district of Seattle, Washington. It is fairly compact compared to other city centers on the West Coast because of its geographical situation: hemmed in on the north and east by hills, on the west by the Elliott Bay, and on the south by reclaimed land that was once...
and he provided the initial capital for Black's efforts to resurrect Cunningham as an American auto manufacturer.
The first thing Black had to do was to secure the trademark and gain the Cunningham family's approval for the project. Contact with Mr. Cunningham's son was very positive. The founder, Briggs Swift Cunningham II, was elderly and in poor health, but his only son, Briggs Swift Cunningham III, was very interested. Briggs the Third was so interested he bought out Steve Norman's interest in the firm.
Virtually Integrated Manufacturing
Black's idea of how to launch the new car company was novel. There was a significant degree of unused manufacturing capacity in the automobile industry. This might make it possible to create a "virtual" car company, where Cunningham Motor Cars would be a design, engineering and marketing firm but would have other firms build the major components. Perhaps it might even be possible to enlist the support of one of America's big three auto manufacturers in the project.To accomplish this, Black sought advice from America's premier automotive journalist, David E. Davis
David E. Davis
David Evan Davis, Jr. was an automotive journalist and magazine publisher widely known as a contributing writer, editor and publisher at Car and Driver magazine and as the founder of Automobile magazine....
, the founder of Automobile Magazine
Automobile Magazine
Automobile magazine is an automobile magazine in the United States and is owned by Source Interlink. It was founded by a group of former employees of Car and Driver magazine, led by that publications’s former editor, David E. Davis, and originally published by News Corporation...
. Black asked Davis about Bob Lutz, who was well thought of in the enthusiast community. Davis advised Black about contacting Lutz, who was then President of Chrysler Corporation
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
. Chrysler had been the second engine supplier to Cunningham (after Cadillac) in the 1950s so this was an appropriate marriage. Once again, the reception was positive. It turned out that Lutz was a Cunningham enthusiast and even had a signed C-4RK race photograph in his office.
Cunningham and Chrysler
At Lutz's urging, Chrysler quickly produced a prototype engine, a V-12 331 c.i. They achieved this by grafting together 2.7 liter V-6 engines. At the time, it seemed to all involved that Cunningham was going to come into being again. Ironically, the Cunningham project re-kindled interest within Chrysler for their "Hemi" engines and work began bring the Hemi back to market for DODGE trucks.Cunningham efforts continued on other fronts as well. Black, now the managing partner of Cunningham, thought it crucial to establish creditability for the "new" Cunningham by once again building 1952 Cunningham C-4Rs. An operation to build continuation C-4Rs was formed in Lime Rock, CT, at the race track
Race track
A race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
designed and built by one of the original team drivers for Cunningham, John Fitch.
Media attention
That operation gained significant press attention, thereby reminding the potential customer baseCustomer base
The customer base is the group of customers and/or consumers that a business serves. In the most situations, a large part of this group is made up of repeat customers with a high ratio of purchase over time. These customers are the main source of consumer spending...
of what Cunningham had once been. Many auto and general interest publications sent correspondents to test the C4Rs being built in Lime Rock. including Car and Driver
Car and Driver
Car and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. Its total circulation is 1.31 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011...
, Automobile Magazine
Automobile Magazine
Automobile magazine is an automobile magazine in the United States and is owned by Source Interlink. It was founded by a group of former employees of Car and Driver magazine, led by that publications’s former editor, David E. Davis, and originally published by News Corporation...
, Road and Track
Road & Track
Road & Track is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, and is published monthly. The editorial offices are located in Newport Beach, California.-History:...
, Forbes, London's Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, the New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and a number of European car publications. The coverage for the resurrected C-4Rs was so intense and at the same time great interest was also being created in the upcoming modern Cunningham, now being called the C-7.
Interest too, was gathering for the "virtual car company" idea. Forbes Magazine
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2001/0430/106.html would later put Bob Lutz on their cover under the words "Bob Lutz's Secret". The real secret was how little money would have to be raised to launch the new company. Careful financial research predicted that a 80% savings would be realized over a conventional automobile start-up.
Daimler/Chrysler
What no one involved could have predicted were the consequences of Mercedes taking over Chrysler, which they did. The Germans saw the new C-7 Cunningham as a threat to their Maybach project and support within Daimler/Chrysler evaporated. Lutz left Chrysler and became the CEO of Exide BatteriesExide Batteries
Exide Technologies is the world's second-largest producer of automotive lead acid batteries for automotive and industrial applications. The Company’s four global business groups – Transportation Americas, Transportation Europe and Rest of World, Industrial Power Americas and Industrial Power Europe...
and Cunningham lost their automaker ally. Cunningham needed a big three sponsor again.
Efforts continued, since the basic idea of having the virtual company build an American Grand Touring car and marketing it under the Cunningham brand was inherently strong.
Cunningham/GM
Once again, David E. Davis intervened. Since the first Cunningham race cars were Cadillac powered, Davis suggested that the partners approach General MotorsGeneral Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
. Lutz said that he didn't know anyone at General Motors, so Davis arranged for Black and Lutz to meet with GM executives. This meeting served to remind GM that in 1950 Cunningham raced Cadillac based cars at Le Mans and the 50th anniversary of that was approaching.
Black was now consulting with Arv Mueller, the head of GM Powertrain
GM Powertrain
GM Powertrain Engineering Center Torino is a powertrain engineering center founded in 2005.The engineering center is headquartered in Turin, Italy, and is a subsidiary of General Motors....
, on what would be the GM approach to a Cunningham powerplant. Once again, a V-12 configuration was selected as the market demanded an exotic engine in an exotic car. The precise layout came from Black, who requested a 60 degree angle between the two banks of cylinders. The reason for the request was simple. The exhaust note of a 60 degree V-12 is near musical and Black recalled hearing Ferrari race cars in his youth, all of which used 60 degree V-12s.
Lutz had selected a retired designer from Chrysler to draw the Cunningham C-7 exterior, but none of the his submissions appealed to Briggs or Black, so, once again, David E. Davis came to the rescue. When asked by Black who was the best independent designer in Detroit, Davis' immediate answer was Stewart Reed. Unknown to Black or Davis, Lutz was asking the same thing of his people and they gave the same answer. Stewart Reed it was.
Stewart Reed design
The initial Stewart Reed design submission was approved by Black, Lutz and Cunningham and the refinement process began. What emerged was stunning, a broad shouldered, muscular and very American Grand Touring car http://www.stewartreeddesign.com/portfolio1.php. The debut was just six months away and there are few firms that could handle such a deadline. Reed suggested Special Projects in Plymouth, MichiganPlymouth, Michigan
Plymouth is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,132 at the 2010 census. The City of Plymouth is an enclave completely surrounded by Plymouth Charter Township, Michigan.-Geography:...
and he and Black met with their principal, Kenny Yanez. Yanez agreed.
In the interim, Lutz had chosen another fabrication firm, but despite having been paid $750,000 in advance, they produced nothing. As a result, Reed and Black had to go back to Yanez and see if he could still do the project. Yanez again agreed and just days before the show, it was finished.
The end of Cunningham
The debut at the 2001 Detroit show was both the triumph and defeat of the modern Cunningham. The car and the low cost of the project so impressed GM that they invested in the firm and made Bob Lutz Vice-Chairman of GM. Larry BlackLarry Black
Larry Jeffery Black was an American athlete, winner of the gold medal in the 4 x 100 m relay and silver medal in the 200 m at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich....
and Briggs Cunningham were forced out of the firm by Lutz and all that would result from those nine years of effort was a lawsuit http://www.caranddriver.com/features/03q1/cunningham_suit_aimed_at_lutz_and_gm-column. The cars were never built.