Cunningham C6-R
The Cunningham C6-R was a sports car developed for the Briggs Cunningham racing team in 1954 .
Development history and technology
The C6-R was the last sports car built by Cunningham before the racing team switched entirely to Jaguar vehicles . Cunningham changed the engine supplier for the C6-R. For still in the C5-R built 5.5-liter Chrysler - V8 engine , the chassis was too narrow. The choice fell on a 3-liter, 4-cylinder unit from Offenhauser . The car had conventional suspensions, a De-Dion axle at the rear and a ZF four-speed high-speed gearbox. The tail fin behind the cockpit was striking. Only one chassis was built from the C6-R.
Racing history
The C6-R made its racing debut at the Sebring 12-hour race in 1955 . The racing car was driven by Briggs Cunningham himself and John Gordon Bennett and retired just before halfway through the race after a gearbox failure. Victory in the race went to Cunningham, however, as Mike Hawthorn and Phil Walters crossed the finish line first in a Jaguar D-Type that he had entered. At Le Mans , too - where Sherwood Johnston was Cunningham's partner - the C6-R broke down after another gearbox failure. Cunningham had the only finishings at SCCA races in 1957; after that the sports car was no longer used.
