Below are photos of a car based on C3 chassis number 5238 (Engine number C52-8-42343), which was left “rolling” with engine, gearbox, and running gear but unfinished when Briggs Cunningham shut down his car manufacturing operation.
That chassis has now been modified and built up as an exact recreation of the C-4R by Jim Stokes Workshops in Waterlooville, Hampshire, UK (builders of the Lancia D-50 and Ferrari “Sharknose” recreations), using many surviving original parts. After some thought, we have built it to the 1953 specification which has the earlier hood scoop and four, twin-choke Solexes. This means the car will be easily identifiable, as the 2 surviving roadsters and the “continuation” cars all have the later hood ”bulge” covering Webers.
As the 2 existing C4R’s now reside in museums and, due to their rarity and value, are no longer raced in anger, we decided that it was a great project to build a 3rd car and race it in major events, giving people the chance to see it at full chat and in the heat of competition.
Everything that has needed to be made has been done, using over 200 original factory blueprints kindly provided by the Collier Museum (home of the Cunningham Collection and several of the surviving Cunningham cars). Colliers have provided enormous help, lending and donating some parts and offering full access to their archive. Even the wheels have been re-cast in magnesium using the original unique wheel moulds on loan from Collier. The body was created using a digital scan of the Collier car and a body buck was made from that information. The body was then hand-made in aluminum by Roach Manufacturing. Every item on the car is exactly correct to the original drawings.
The car has been granted FIA HTP papers and will be racing at this year’s Goodwood Revival in September.
Additionally, here are two articles which have been written about this project:
“American Dream Reborn,” by Tony Dron, Octane, 2012
“Marketplace: Jim Stokes Workshops,” The Automobile, March 2012
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