One to Buy: ex works - Briggs Cunningham 1960 Chevrolet Corvette LM
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In January 1960, Chevrolet struck a deal with noted American sportsman, Briggs Cunningham, to campaign a trio of Corvettes at the 1960 Le Mans 24 Hours. Ever since 1950, Cunningham (who was heir to a massive fortune) had been the United States’ foremost representative at la Sarthe racing all manner of makes and models including some built under his own name.
While the 1960 World Sportscar Championship was open to cars with an engine size no greater than three-litres, race organisers were permitted to hold classes for non points-scoring vehicles with larger capacity motors if they wished. At Le Mans (which was the fifth and final round of that year’s World Championship), the Automobile Club de l’Ouest added crowd-pleasing classes for Sports and GT cars of up to four-litres, up to five-litres and over five-litres.
To circumvent the North American Automobile Manufacturers Association ban on official motor sport participation by US car builders which had been imposed since 1957, Chevrolet’s involvement in the 1960 Le Mans campaign was to be kept secret. Accordingly, a trio of specially prepared Corvettes were acquired by Cunningham via Don Allen Midtown Chevrolet in New York City on March 16th 1960.
At this stage, each car featured a temperature-controlled radiator fan, quick-ratio steering, a close-ratio four-speed manual gearbox, a Posi-Traction limited-slip differential, uprated brakes and heavy-duty suspension.
Upon delivery to Cunningham’s race team manager, Alfred Momo at the Momo Corporation in Woodside, New York, a series of further upgrades were made. They included installation of factory-supplied race-spec fuel-injected engines with side-exiting exhausts, twin Bendix fuel pumps (primary and backup), a long-range fuel tank with quick filler cap, Koni shock absorbers, an additional front anti-roll bar, Halibrand magnesium wheels shod with Firestone racing tyres, Stewart Warner instrumentation and a pair of lightweight seats from a Douglas C-47 Skytrain aircraft.
After shakedown tests at Sebring and Daytona, two of the Corvettes (chassis 2538 and 3535) were entered for the Sebring 12 Hours. Unfortunately, neither car finished with 2538 crashing out and 3535 suffering engine failure.
As the third Corvette had still not been completed and chassis 2538 was being repaired following its accident at Sebring, chassis 3535 went on to attend the annual Le Mans Test weekend where it posted sixth fastest time. Following a further development session at Bridgehampton in mid May, the three Corvettes were shipped back to France.
Despite a 24 hour enduro that saw some spectacularly bad weather, the #3 Corvette driven by John Fitch and Bob Grossman (chassis 2538) eventually finished eighth overall and won the five-litre GT class. As for the other pair, the #2 car (chassis 4117) driven by Dick Thompson and Fred Windridge retired with engine failure. The #1 car (chassis 3535) driven by Briggs Cunningham and Bill Kimberly was involved in a spectacular accident. Having been sent out in torrential ran on slick tyres, Kimberley aquaplaned off at Maison Blanche and rolled end-over-end twice. Fortunately, the car ended right side up and Kimberly was unhurt.
Upon its return to the US, chassis 3535 was sold in its damaged state minus engine and hardtop to Marshall “Perry” Boswell Jr. of Delray Beach, Florida. Boswell rebuilt the car with a number of custom modifications and retained it until 1966. Chassis 3535 subsequently passed through the hands of four more owners before its acquisition by Richard Carr Sr. of St. Petersburg, Florida, with whom it remained out of public view for nearly four decades.
In March 2021 the Corvette was reacquired by the Cunningham family who commissioned a complete body-off restoration to 1960 Le Mans trim by marque expert Kevin Mackay and his team at Corvette Repair Inc. in Valley Stream, New York. The restoration was completed in 2023 and the car has been retained by the Cunningham family ever since.
Chassis 3535 will be heading to auction at RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale scheduled for August 13th through 15th.
