1954 Cunningham C-3 Vignale Coupe takes Best in Show at 2016 Misselwood Concours d’Elegance

1954 Cunningham C-3 Vignale Coupe. Photos by author.

Like the mythical Phoenix bird, the 1954 Cunningham C-3 Vignale Coupe currently owned by James W. Taylor of Gloversville, New York, has risen from the ashes, and it’s done so on more than one occasion. Fresh from a multi-year restoration that ended in 2015, the stunning silver and gray coupe captured the hearts of judges at last weekend’s Misselwood Concourse d’Elegance, where it beat a crowd of roughly 100 challengers to earn Best in Show honors.

The second-to-last C-3 Coupe shipped from Vignale to Cunningham’s factory in West Palm Beach, Florida, chassis 5442 was delivered to its first owner in New York City in 1954. As ordered, the car came complete with a Ford radio and the optional heater, an indication that buyer R.L Parish intended to use the car for more than just fair-weather summer driving.

The 331-cu.in. Hemi V-8 is original to the car.

By 1964, a decade after its original sale, the Cunningham had crossed the country. The next record for 5442 shows it being “crashed by a dentist’s wife,” and then acquired by H&M Auto Wrecking in Oakland, California. Repaired, the car was sold to Paul Rawn, and served as a bookend for his Cunningham C-3 Cabriolet, until sold to collector William Cattell in 1974. Circa 1975, the car was given its first complete restoration, and it debuted to the public at the 1976 Silverado Concours d’Elegance, earning its first Best in Show trophy.

David Willison was the car’s next owner, followed by Robert B. Cunningham, grandson of Briggs Swift Cunningham, who owned the car until 2000. In 2003, it was acquired by the current owner, who funded a thorough restoration at the end of the decade. Finished in time for the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, chassis 5442 finished second in the Postwar Cunningham class, then went on to capture the Executive Director’s Award at this year’s The Elegance at Hershey. Sunday’s Best in Show at the Misselwood Concours d’Elegance is the car’s first such honor since the latest restoration, and it’s a safe bet that it won’t be the Cunningham’s last.

Now in its seventh year, the Misselwood Concours d’Elegance is held at the Misselwood Estate, on the grounds of Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts. With the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop, it’s a stunning venue for a car show, and the size (limited to 125 cars) makes it a manageable event for classic car fans of all ages. For those who missed this year’s show, enjoy the gallery of images below, and for complete results, visit Endicott.edu/Concours.aspx.

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