The Cunningham C-2R was a

sports racing car Sports car racing is a form of motorsport road racing which utilises sports cars that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built prototypes or grand tourers based on road-going models. Broadly speaking, sports car racing is o ...

developed in 1951 by the B. S. Cunningham Company. A team of three cars were entered in the

1951 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 19th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 23 and 24 June 1951. It was won by Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead in their works-entered Jaguar C-type, the first Le Mans win for the marque. The arrival of J ...

History

The C-2R was the successor to the C-1. Three C-2 cars were built, all to racing specifications, and getting the "R" designation. The C-2R's front suspension used Ford parts, while the rear suspension had Oldsmobile springs and the brake system used Cadillac components. Unable to secure a supply of the Cadillac engine that had been used in the C1, Cunningham substituted a version of the

Chrysler FirePower The Chrysler Firepower was a Dodge Viper-based concept car produced in 2005. It takes some of the styling cues from the Chrysler Crossfire. According to Chrysler, its 6.1 L Hemi V8 engine produced and could propel the vehicle to a 0-60 m ...

Hemi V8 in the C-2R.

Motorsports

The C-2R debuted at Le Mans in 1951. All three cars were entered, driven by teams John Fitch and Phil Walters, George Rand and Fred Wacker Jr., and Briggs Cunningham and

George Huntoon George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...

. Two of the three cars ended up retiring on lap 76 and 98 (9 and 11 hours), respectively, after an accident. Although the third car, with drivers John Fitch and

Phil Walters Philip F. Walters (April 20, 1916 – February 6, 2000) was an American racing driver, who won both the 12 Hours of Sebring and Watkins Glen Grand Prix twice. Early career Walters was born in New York City and grew up in Manhasset, New York ...

, managed to complete 223 laps, they were not classified. They did finish, and placed 18th in class.

References

{{Reflist, refs= {{cite web , url=https://www.racingsportscars.com/type/Cunningham/C-2R.html , title=Cunningham C-2R , author= , date= , website=Racing Sports Cars , publisher= , access-date= {{cite web , url=https://www.racingsportscars.com/type/results/Cunningham/C-2R.html , title=All Results of Cunningham C-2R , author= , date= , website=Racing Sports Cars , publisher= , access-date= {{cite web , url=https://www.briggscunningham.com/cunningham-c2r-5104/ , title=Cunningham C2R #5104 , last=Berman , first=Lawrence W. , date=16 September 2019 , website=www.briggscunningham.com , publisher= , access-date= {{cite web , url=https://www.autoweek.com/news/a2068796/1951-cunningham-c2r-one-owner-hemi/ , title=1951 Cunningham C2R: One-Owner Hemi , last=Dorrington , first=Leigh , date=6 August 2006 , website=Autoweek , publisher= , access-date= {{cite web , url=https://www.briggscunningham.com/sportscars/c2/ , title=Cunningham Sports Cars — 1951 C-2R , last=Lyons , first=Pete , date=14 November 2019 , website=www.briggscunningham.com , publisher= , access-date= {{cite magazine , last=Boddy , first=Bill , date=June 1951 , title=The new Cunningham , url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/june-1951/38/the-new-cunningham-americas-challenge-to-the-sport , magazine=Motor Sport , page=296 {{cite magazine , author= , title=RUMBLINGS , url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/may-1951/23/rumblings-may-1951 , magazine=Motor Sport , page=229 , date=May 1951 1950s cars Sports cars Cars of the United States 24 Hours of Le Mans race cars