Cunningham Automotive Announces the Creation of Its 60th Anniversary Cunningham C8 Corvette
DALLAS, March 2, 2021 (Newswire.com) - Cunningham Automotive Inc. is announcing the creation of its 60th Anniversary Cunningham C8 Corvette.
Briggs Swift Cunningham was an American racing driver, sportsman, race team owner and Le Mans Legend. Credited with creating America's first modern sports cars after World War II and was responsible for manufacturing some of motorsports' most storied racecars - especially, the stunning 1952 Cunningham C4R & C4RK Le Mans racers and the stunning 1953 Cunningham C3 grand touring sports car. In 1958, Briggs won both the SCCA C Modified Championship, as well as piloting the "Columbia" to win the prestigious America's Cup sailing race that same year!
He dominated the American auto racing scene from 1950 to 1963 during which time, he also built one of the most competitive American auto racing teams in Le Mans History.
The American auto racing community has much to thank Briggs for his contributions. One of his most lasting legacies was the creation of the "Racing Stripe" which he introduced: by painting two blue stripes down the center of his white Le Mans racecars to reflect the American Racing Colors of a White Body with Blue Frame Rails. The rest is history!
In 1960 Briggs was asked by Zora Arkus-Duntov, General Motors Corvette Chief Engineer and fabled "Father of the Corvette" if he thought the Corvette could be competitive at Le Mans, and so an amazing journey began with Corvette's first appearance on the world racing stage. Now known as the Cunningham Corvettes, the three-car effort proved to the world that the Corvette was a true sports car. Car #3 finished 8th overall - winning its class that year and enshrining it in Corvette lore!
It is that marvelous effort that we celebrate with the introduction of the first new Cunningham Corvette in 60 years! The new Cunningham C8 Corvette is a modern supercar. It is powered by a specially tuned Lingenfelter 600 (naturally aspirated) horsepower LT2 motor, with a High Flow Performance Design Carbon Fiber Intake Manifold, Corsa Performance Headers, Exhaust and Airbox, an 8 speed DCT transaxle, Cunningham/MOV'IT Disc Brakes, Tuned Suspension, motorsport-derived Aero Kit, and 20 & 21 inch Michelin Pilot Sport 4S Tires mounted on bespoke forged aluminum HRE wheels that are modeled on the racing Halibrand Kidney Bean wheels used on the original 1960 Le Mans winning Cunningham Corvettes.
Only 60 of these special Anniversary Corvettes will be produced. Each will be numbered #1, #2 or #3 to commemorate the three 1960 Le Mans Cunningham Corvette racecars, and each VIN will be entered into the Cunningham Automotive Vehicle Registry.
Reservations are being accepted now, with deliveries scheduled to begin in second quarter of 2021 due to production logistics related to Covid-19.
For more information please visit: www.cunninghamautomotive.com
Contact:
Antonio Pierce
apierce@cunninghamautomotive.com
Mobile: 972-878-8253
"Corvette is a registered trademark of General Motors Corporation"
Source: Cunningham Automotive Inc.
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