Makes › Cunningham › C-3 Continental · Coachbuilt · 1952–1954 Ultra Rare
Cunningham
C-3 Continental
Briggs Cunningham's road car: Chrysler Hemi chassis built in West Palm Beach, bodies by Vignale (Michelotti design)
Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: Charles from Port Chester, New York · CC BY 2.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 27 Built
- Years
- 1952–1954
- Engine
- Chrysler Hemi V8, just under 5.5 L, front-mounted
- Power
- 175 kW / 238 PSFactory: 235 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The C-3 was the road car Briggs Cunningham built so his Le Mans sports racers could qualify as a manufacturer entry, which required at least ten cars in twelve months.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Cunningham C-3 Continental (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Charles from Port Chester, New York · CC BY 2.0
Cunningham C-3 Continental (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Charles from Port Chester, New York · CC BY 2.0
Cunningham C-3 Continental (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Charles from Port Chester, New York · CC BY 2.0
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02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionC-3s produced per the SCM data box (article text says 25) | 271 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
After entering two Cadillacs at Le Mans in 1950, Cunningham planned an all-American car for the next year. To meet the production rule he developed a road car alongside the racers, the C-3, a thinly disguised derivative of the C-2 race car. He bought the latest Chrysler Hemi V8 engines at about half price through a school classmate who was a Chrysler executive.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard C-3 Continental.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine manufacturer | Chrysler2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Chrysler Hemi V8, just under 5.5 L, front-mounted2 Independently researched |
| Displacement | Not yet verified |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Four Zenith carburettors2 Independently researched |
| Power | 175 kW / 238 PSFactory: 235 hp · converted2 Independently researchedApproximate. |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Chrysler Fluid Drive semi-automatic, low and high range of two gears each2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Steel ladder frame2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Double wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers2 Independently researched |
| Rear suspension | Live axle, coil springs, telescopic dampers2 Independently researched |
| Brakes | Delco hydraulic drums2 Independently researched |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Sports Car Market – Cunningham C-3 profile Level B
- 27 C-3s produced per the SCM data box (article text says 25)
-
2
Cunningham C-3 Continental (Vignale) Level B Ultimatecarpage.com
- HEMI engines
- latest HEMI engines ... big V8
- four Zenith carburettors
- produced around 235 bhp in road going trim
- Chrysler Fluid Drive semi automatic gearbox
- conventional steel ladder frame
- double-wishbone suspension at the front
- live rear axle
- Hydraulic drum brakes, supplied by Delco
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