SEMA 2017 Coverage: This 1952 Cunningham C-3 Vignale Is One Of The Most Interesting Cars Of SEMA 2017


SEMA 2017 Coverage: This 1952 Cunningham C-3 Vignale Is One Of The Most Interesting Cars Of SEMA 2017

American really never cared much for sports car racing until after WWII. GIs that had been in Europe and got to witness and sometimes play around in lithe little cars designed to bend corners really fast got hooked on the idea and lots of them brought “sporty cars” home with them in one form or another. The resulting explosion in popularity started to put America on the racing stage. At the upper end of that spectrum were the rich guys who instead of buying something someone else made, decided to built cars themselves. Briggs Cunningham was among the first of the names that many people would come to know for building sports car and racing cars in the USA. This 1952 Cunningham C-3 Vignale is a fine example of his company’s handiwork and in its unrestored state, the car is freaking magnificent and one of the most interesting hunks of iron at SEMA 2017. Let’s delve into its history and learn why.

Cunningham built the C-3 from 1952-1954 and during that time it was the most expensive car you could buy in the USA. In today’s money that computes to $91,000 which is a ton of dough but the money that you can now spend on a freaking luxury pickup truck. 25 of the cars were built in two years, only a handful survive. This one was found in a barn where it had been sitting for years. Its restoration was purely mechanical. The haggard outer appearance of the car was left exactly as it was found. Neat, right?

International rules being what they were and Cunningham’s desires being what they were, he needed to build 25 cars to be allowed to race at LeMans which was his ultimate goal. Cunningham was an unwilling car manufacturer, but it was a necessary evil to get his own stuff on the track.

The chassis of the car was built in Florida. It got the 331ci hemi engine there, the Cadillac three speed manual transmission, and the Chrysler rear axle. The whole works was then shipped straight to Italy to Vignale for the body to be constructed and added to the chassis. Then the whole thing was shipped home and sent to the buyer. Now do you see why they were so expensive?

The cool thing about this particular car is the fact that it was a “press car” used for various reviews and stories back in 1952. It then went on to win a concours show that same year against cool cars from all over the world. In fact it pulled that stunt twice!

The owner of the car is Tom Cotter and chances are you may have read a book or two by him. He’s written some good stuff like the popular barn find series of books and other material. He’s also cool because this car will be raced starting next year, something that we think Briggs Cunningham would surely approve of.

Check out the photos below of this rare, still driven, and cool 1952 Cunningham –


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9 thoughts on “SEMA 2017 Coverage: This 1952 Cunningham C-3 Vignale Is One Of The Most Interesting Cars Of SEMA 2017

  1. Chevy Hatin' Mad Geordie

    This was built the year I was born – so I’m sure the nice owner will pay to have it shipped over to my place as a late birthday present…..

  2. Gary Perkinson

    Didn’t “Chasing Classic Cars” have a Cunningham on one episode? I’m pretty sure one of those shows did…

    1. Tony Birardi

      My Jay Leno Cunningham story,

      I was Sitting with Tom and Pat Cotter one evening at the Ass Clown Brew Pub in Cornelius North Carolina enjoying the local flavor when Toms phone rang and with a concerned look he tells Pat ,its Jay. He looks at me and says \”I never do this when I\’m with friends but , I need to take this call,\” Tom scoots out the door while Pat and I continue with our designer beers and catch up on things. Tom returns relaxed and then tells me it was Jay Leno on the phone and that Jay had picked up a Cunningham from him earlier that day and it was rough. But since it was one of or maybe the last to be accounted for must have made up for the condition of the car and Jay assured Tom that it was all good.

      Always good times with the Cotters
      Tony the Fence

  3. Bobby J

    Wow, neat car. Jay Leno has a nice video on his. I believe he states all 25 cars exist, which is pretty amazing.
    Briggs Cunningham lived large! He won the America’s Cup and developed a sailboat mechanism, the Cunningham, which bears his name today.

  4. Tom P

    What a cool car to see there, and right across the aisle from the Tucker !

    The Cunningham cast intake and the other little details has me hanging around that car for long spells several times.

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