Briggs Cunningham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Briggs Cunningham
Born	(1907-01-19)January 19, 1907 Cincinnati, Ohio, US
Died	July 2, 2003(2003-07-02) (aged 96) Las Vegas, Nevada, US
Other names	Mr. C
Sailing career College team  Yale University
Wins	7
Poles	3

Briggs Swift Cunningham II (born January 19, 1907 – died July 2, 2003) was a famous American entrepreneur (a person who starts and runs a business) and sportsman. He is best known for leading the yacht Columbia to victory in the 1958 America's Cup sailing race. He was also a talented driver, team owner, and car builder in sports car racing, including the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

Early Life and Adventures

Briggs Cunningham was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on January 19, 1907. His family had lived in the Cincinnati area for a long time. His grandfather was involved in river boats and shipping, and later in the meat packing business. Briggs's father, Briggs Swift Cunningham Senior, was a successful businessman. He started a bank and was a director for many companies, including the Pennsylvania Railroad. He also helped fund the soap company Procter and Gamble.

Briggs's father passed away when Briggs was only five years old. Briggs didn't get full control of his family's money until he was forty.

When Briggs was a boy, his uncle, Dr. Ashton Heyl, had a very fast car. It had an Hispano-Suiza aircraft engine! Briggs would ride with his uncle during exciting, unplanned street races.

Briggs went to school at Groton and the Hill School. He then went to Yale University. He was also a brakeman on the Olympic bobsled team, which is a team that races down an icy track in a special sled.

In 1929, he married Lucie Bedford. Her grandfather was a co-founder of Standard Oil, a big oil company. They went on a long honeymoon in Europe. During this trip, Briggs won a car show with a Mercedes Benz SS. He also saw his first big car race, the 1930 Monaco Grand Prix. When they returned to the US, they lived near the Long Island Sound.

During World War II (WWII), Briggs wanted to join the US Navy. But he was too old and had a health condition. Instead, he joined the Civil Air Patrol. He flew planes to look for submarines off the east coast. He even paid for the planes himself!

Sailing Successes

By building and sailing his own ships, and building and racing his own cars, he epitomized the definition of the American sportsman.

—Sam Posey, former racing driver and journalist

Briggs's mother was worried about him racing cars. So, he focused on sailing until after she passed away. He became a very competitive sailboat racer.

At age seventeen, he joined the Pequot Yacht Club. He started racing Star Class boats, which are small sailboats. He said his wife taught him how to sail!

In 1928, Briggs and his father-in-law bought a boat called Loke. In 1929, he bought another boat, Akaba, and renamed it Lucie. This was the first of two boats he named Lucie. In 1930, he asked Clinton H. Crane to design a new 6-meter boat, also named Lucie. He even sailed this new Lucie during part of his honeymoon. Briggs won six world titles in 6-meter yachts!

In 1931, Briggs was part of the crew on the Dorade. They won the race around the Fastnet Rock. In 1937, he was a crew member for Harold Stirling Vanderbilt on his yacht Vim.

After WWII, Briggs bought the schooner Brilliant from the Coast Guard. He changed it to make it faster. In 1953, he gave the Brilliant to the Mystic Seaport. It became a classroom for sailing students.

The Brilliant was the first boat to use a special part called a Cunningham downhaul. Briggs invented this improved part, and it was named after him!

Briggs was part of a group that built the Columbia yacht. This boat was made to compete in the 1958 America's Cup race. The original captain got sick, so Briggs stepped in. He led the Columbia and its crew to victory!

Racing Driver and Team Owner

Briggs Cunningham started racing cars internationally in 1930. He raced with his college friends, brothers Cowles "Miles" Collier and Sam Collier. These friends started the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) in 1933. This club later became the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) in 1944. Briggs raced in the very first SCCA race. He was known as one of the most successful drivers in SCCA sports car racing.

Briggs was also an early member of the Road Racing Drivers Club. This special group honors drivers, officials, and journalists who have made important contributions to racing.

Briggs's racing team was very impressive. They arrived at the track with a huge, well-equipped transporter. They also brought their drivers, a team of professionals, mechanics, and the race cars. Their main mechanic was Alfredo Momo.

On December 31, 1950, Briggs raced an Aston Martin DB2 in the Sam Collier Memorial Race. This was the first car race held at the Sebring Airport race track. Briggs finished third in his class. His car was one of the first DB2 Vantage models ever built.

In 1955, Briggs stopped building his own cars. His company had a five-year period to become profitable, but it didn't.

Briggs continued to race internationally from 1930 until 1963. That's when he closed his Le Mans racing team. His last professional race was in a Porsche Carrera GTS (Type 904) at Sebring in 1966. His last amateur race was in the same Porsche 904 in September 1966.

Briggs Cunningham's Cars

Briggs Cunningham was famous for the cars he raced and even built himself.

Early Race Cars

One of Briggs's first race cars was the Number 5 Special. It was a special kind of race car called a sprint car. It had a custom frame and a powerful Ford Model T engine.

Another special car was the Bu-Merc. This car was built from a 1939 Buick Century. Briggs had it modified with parts from a wrecked Mercedes Benz SSK. In 1948, Briggs drove the Bu-Merc at the first Grand Prix held at Watkins Glen and finished second.

In 1950, Briggs raced a Healey Silverstone car. He had a new Cadillac V8 engine put into it. This car finished second at Palm Beach and again at Watkins Glen that year.

"Petit Pataud" and "Le Monstre"

Cunningham "Le Monstre"

Cadillac Series 61 "Petit Pataud"

For the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans race, Briggs entered two Cadillac cars.

• The first looked like a regular Cadillac Series 61. The French people called it "Petit Pataud," which means "little clumsy puppy." It had only small changes, like extra lights and a second fuel tank.
• The second Cadillac had its original body removed. A completely new, lower, and narrower body was built from aluminum. This car was nicknamed "Le Monstre" (The Monster). It also used five carburetors to make it more powerful.

The Collier brothers drove "Petit Pataud" and finished tenth. Briggs Cunningham and his co-driver Phil Walters were in "Le Monstre" and finished eleventh.

B. S. Cunningham Company Cars

To get ready for his next Le Mans race, Briggs bought a car company and moved it to West Palm Beach, Florida. He renamed it the "B.S. Cunningham Company."

The first car from his new company was the Cunningham C-1. It had a Cadillac V8 engine. Only one was built. Then came three C-2Rs, which were racing cars. Briggs changed the engine in the C-1 to a powerful Chrysler FirePower V8. The C-2R first raced at Le Mans in 1951.

1953 Cunningham C-3 Cabriolet

To be officially recognized as a car manufacturer for Le Mans, Briggs had to build 25 road cars. These were called the C-3s. They used an improved Chrysler FirePower V8 engine.

Cunningham C-4R

The next racing car was the C-4R, designed by G. Briggs Weaver. Two C-4R roadsters (open-top cars) and one C-4RK coupe (closed-top car) were built. They first raced at the 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans.

For 1953, a brand new C-5R was made for Le Mans. It still had the Chrysler V8 engine, but it was even more powerful. When the car arrived at Le Mans, the French called it "Le Requin Souriant" – "the smiling shark."

The last car model from the B. S. Cunningham company was the C-6R. It used a different engine, a 3.0-liter four-cylinder Offenhauser engine. At the 1955 Le Mans, the C-6R had to stop racing before the end.

Other Famous Cars He Raced

Briggs also raced many cars from other famous brands.

• He raced several MGs. In 1934, he drove an MG J2. In 1948, his supercharged MG TC won first in its class at Watkins Glen.
• He planned to race "Fordillacs" at Le Mans. These were 1949 Fords with powerful Cadillac V8 engines.
• In 1949, Briggs bought a Ferrari 166 Spider Corsa. This was the first Ferrari ever raced in the US!
• 

  Cunningham O.S.C.A. MT4

In 1954, Briggs's O.S.C.A. MT4 car, driven by Stirling Moss and Bill Lloyd, won the 12 Hours of Sebring race. His team won at Sebring again the next year with a Jaguar D-Type.

• At the 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans, Briggs entered a Ferrari 375 MM with special water-cooled brakes.
• He owned three Maserati 300S cars. One of them finished third in its first race at the 1955 12 Hours of Sebring.
• In 1958, Briggs raced two Lister-Jaguar "Knobbly" cars. They helped him win a championship in 1958. In 1959, he upgraded to the Lister-Costin, which also won a championship.
• For the 1960 Le Mans race, Briggs prepared three Corvettes. He also entered one Jaguar E-Type. One of his Corvettes, driven by John Fitch and Bob Grossman, finished eighth overall and first in its class!
• In 1960, Briggs bought a Maserati Tipo 60 "Birdcage". He drove it in the 1961 24 Hours of Le Mans and finished eighth.
• In 1961, a Fiat-Abarth 1000 Bialbero owned by Briggs won the 3 Hours of Sebring race for Grand Touring cars.
• For the 1963 Le Mans, Briggs drove a Jaguar E-Type Lightweight and finished ninth.
• In 1964 and 1965, Briggs co-drove a Porsche 904 at Sebring, winning his class both times.

The Briggs Cunningham Museum

Throughout his life, Briggs collected many cars, including many of his own former racing cars. He opened the Briggs Cunningham Museum in Costa Mesa, California, to show off his amazing collection. The museum building was very large, about 40,000 square feet! It officially opened on February 5, 1966.

The museum was open for 21 years. In 1986, Briggs decided to sell the 71 cars in his collection. They were bought by Miles Collier, the son of his old friend Cowles "Miles" Collier. The cars were moved to Naples, Florida, and became part of the Collier Automotive Museum Collection. This collection is now part of the Revs Institute display.

Personal Life

Briggs Cunningham was so famous that he was featured on the cover of Time magazine on April 26, 1954. The cover showed him with three of his racing cars.

Briggs passed away in Las Vegas at the age of 96. He was survived by his former wife Lucie Bedford Warren and their three children. He was also survived by his second wife, Laura Cramer Cunningham, and two step-sons.

Legacy and Honors

Sebring International Raceway: Cunningham Corner at top center

• A part of the Sebring International Raceway is named "Cunningham Corner" in his honor.
• In 1981, Briggs Cunningham and his cars were the first American brand to be featured at the Monterey Historic Automobile Races.
• He was also honored at the 1981 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, a famous car show.
• In 1993, he was inducted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame for his sailing achievements.
• In 1997, he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.
• He was also inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2003.
• In 2013, an athletic field at the Hill School was named after both Briggs Cunningham II and his son, Briggs Cunningham III.

Racing Results

Briggs Cunningham had a long and successful career in racing. Here are some of his results from major races:

Le Mans Results

Year	Team	Co-driver	Car	Class	Laps	Position	Class Position
1950	Briggs Cunningham	Phil Walters	Cunningham "Le Monstre" Spider	S 8.0	232	11th
1951	Briggs Cunningham	George Huntoon	Cunningham C-2R	S 8.0	223	Did Not Finish (DNF)
1952	Briggs Cunningham	Bill Spear	Cunningham C-4R	S 8.0	252	4th	1st
1953	Briggs Cunningham	Bill Spear	Cunningham C-4R	S 8.0	299	7th
1954	Briggs Cunningham	John Gordon Bennett	Cunningham C-4R	S 8.0	283	5th
1955	Briggs Cunningham	Sherwood Johnston	Cunningham C-6R	S 3.0	196	Did Not Finish (DNF)
1961	Briggs Cunningham	William Kimberly	Maserati Tipo 60	S 2.0	303	8th
1962	Briggs Cunningham	Roy Salvadori	Jaguar E-Type FHC	GT +3.0	310	4th	1st
1963	Briggs S. Cunningham	Bob Grossman	Jaguar E-Type Lightweight	GT +3.0	283	9th

12 Hours of Sebring Results

Year	Team	Co-driver(s)	Car	Class	Lap	Position	Class Position
1952	William Spear	Bill Spear	Ferrari 340 America			Did Not Finish (DNF)
1953	Briggs Cunningham	Bill Lloyd	OSCA MT4 1350	S1.5	153	5th	1st
1954	Briggs Cunningham	Sherwood Johnston	Cunningham C-4R	S8.0	104	Did Not Finish (DNF)
1955	B. S. Cunningham	John Gordon Bennett	Cunningham C-6R	S3.0	54	Did Not Finish (DNF)
1956	Briggs Cunningham	John Gordon Bennett	Jaguar D-Type	S5.0	168	12th
1957	Briggs Cunningham	Bill Lloyd	Jaguar D-Type	S5.0	2	Did Not Finish (DNF)
1958	Alfred Momo	Walt Hansgen	Jaguar D-Type	GT3.0	16	Did Not Finish (DNF)
1959	Briggs Cunningham	Lake Underwood Russ Boss	Lister	S3.0	164	15th
1960	Jaguar Distributors of New York	John Fitch	Chevrolet Corvette	GT5.0	27	Did Not Finish (DNF)
1961	Momo Corporation	William Kimberly	Maserati Tipo 60	S2.0	171	19th
1962	Briggs Cunningham	John Fitch	Jaguar E-Type			14th	1st
1963	Briggs Cunningham	John Fitch	Jaguar E-Type			Did Not Finish (DNF)
1964	Briggs Cunningham	Lake Underwood	Porsche 904 GTS			9th	1st
1965	Briggs Cunningham	John Fitch Bill Bencker	Porsche 904 GTS			20th
1966	Briggs Cunningham	John Fitch Dave Jordan	Porsche 904 GTS	S2.0	148	Did Not Finish (DNF)

World Sportscar Championship Results