Photo: Theodore W. Pieper ©2021 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Blenheim, Ontario, CANADA – Leading early highlights for RM Sotheby’s May 22 Amelia Island auction is a Corvette that Briggs Cunningham entered in the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Photo: Theodore W. Pieper ©2021 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
The C1 Corvette (chassis no. 3535) is one of three Corvettes run by Cunningham’s team and developed with clandestine assistance by a Chevrolet team under Corvette lead Zora Arkus-Duntov for the 1960 Le Mans. Offered without reserve, RM Sotheby’s estimates the Corvette’s selling price between $900,000 to $1.3 million.
Photo: Theodore W. Pieper ©2021 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
The car was Cunningham’s last effort to achieve his goal of winning the world’s most challenging race in an American car, with American drivers. Chassis 3535 was run during the race as the No. 1 livery driven by Bill Kimberly and retired after an accident during the race’s 32nd lap; still, the Cunningham team was led to a stunning class victory by the No. 3 livery of John Fitch and Bob Grossman. Considered lost until its rediscovery in 2012, the Corvette has been extensively modified during private ownership but retains many features that confirm its historic provenance.
