£906.6k
1953 Cunningham C-3 Cabriolet
RM Sotheby's • US • 5 Mar 2022
Market Position:
World Record
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£906,624
1953 Cunningham C-3 Cabriolet
US • 5 Mar 2022 • Lot 175
Vehicle Details
AI Listing Summary
This 1953 Cunningham C-3 Cabriolet by Vignale, chassis number 5441, is one of only five ever built. It has a rich history, including being owned by racer Irving Robbins and Briggs Cunningham's daughter Lucie, and has been shown at prestigious Concours d'Elegance events.
Condition
8
The car has been restored and well-maintained, with its Vignale body beautifully finished in a subtle red two-tone with a tan convertible top. The interior is trimmed in tan leather and luxuriously appointed. The car has been shown at several Concours d'Elegance events.
/ 10
5441
United States
1953
Auction
£906.6k
1953 Cunningham C-3 Cabriolet
RM Sotheby's • US • 5 Mar 2022
Market Position:
World Record
Track live values and receive listing alerts
Description
Son of a wealthy Cincinnati financier and heir to the Swift meatpacking fortune, Briggs Cunningham began his career in yacht racing at Yale in the 1920s, which eventually led to international fame when he captained the Columbia to victory in the 1958 America’s Cup.
He engaged in international racing in the 1930s with his college friends Miles and Samuel Collier, who founded the Automobile Racing Club of America (later renamed the Sports Car Club of America, SCCA, in 1944).
In 1950, Cunningham entered two Cadillac Coupe DeVilles in the world’s most prestigious race, the 24-hour endurance event at Le Mans.
One remained nearly stock, but the other was heavily and unconventionally modified, earning it the nickname “Le Monstre.” They finished 10th and 11th among a sea of Jaguars, Aston Martins, and Ferraris.
This early loss only increased Cunningham’s will to victory, which ultimately culminated in the creation of his eponymous Cunningham C-3 automobile.
At the time, homologation rules...
Price Analysis vs Other C-3s
£73,557
Lowest Price (Since 2020)
£490,091
Median Price (Since 2020)
£906,624
Highest Price (Since 2020)
World Record
This vehicle has set a new record for the C-3
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Rare Sale
This vehicle comes to market rarely. In auction records we've only seen 8 sold before
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Previous C-3 Sales
MOT Information
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