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Last Cunningham C3 Discovered!

How can this be? How can all 25 Cunningham C3 coupes still exist nearly 60 years after being manufactured in West Palm Beach? But it’s true, thanks to the detective skills of one Chuck Schoendorf of Connecticut, US. Chuck is also the proud owner of a C3 coupe, #5214, which makes it the ninth Vignale-bodied C3 built. Chuck has done an incredible job restoring his car, which is equipped with Halibrand knock-off wheels and 40-gallon fuel tank. Chuck’s car was originally sold to a customer in Lima, Peru, who apparently took it racing.

Restoring his car sparked his interest in researching all Cunningham automobiles. Over the course of the past year, another Cunningham enthusiast – Larry Berman or Boston – began to identify C3s, one after the other. You see, Larry operates a terrific website – www.briggscunningham.com – so through his painstaking research, he slowly discovered the whereabouts of nearly every C3 built.

Except for one, serial number 5209, the fourth Vignale bodied coupe. The trail went cold somewhere in Connecticut. So Chuck began calling relatives of the two known owners. Dead-end after dead-end, then gold! Chuck heard that the daughter of the second owner may still own the car. A few more phone calls and he was speaking to her.Turns out the car was still stored in the backyard of her deceased father’s weekend house near the Long Island Sound. Chuck jumped in his car and drove two hours to the residence. What he saw was both good news and sad. The car was actually still intact and complete. But it had been sitting outside for close to a quarter century. It was very deteriorated. Still, the 25th and last C3 had been discovered. Chuck has negotiated with the owner, who hopes to have the car restored in memory of her father, Harry. But this weekend (September 17 & 18) the car will be displayed in the Barn-Find class at the Fairfield County Concours near Westport, Connecticut. If you have the chance, stop by and take a look at a piece of history.