The First Corvette To Win At Le Mans

Briggs Cunningham – A Man and His Dream

The Early Days of Le Mans

The 24 Hours of Le Mans has been recognized around the globe as the world’s oldest – and most prestigious – endurance racing event ever. Since its introduction in 1923, drivers and teams from around the globe have gathered near the town of Le Mans, France, to compete in the twenty-four-hour endurance race.

The early days of Le Mans were dominated mostly by European racing teams. Because of the costly limitations of transporting vehicles to Europe, American drivers did not make a significant showing at the event. Further, it was commonly agreed that American automobiles did not have the durability or performance capabilities to compete with their European counterparts.

Briggs Cunningham

That perception was challenged in 1948 when Briggs Swift Cunningham, a millionaire sportsman, made the decision to invest a portion of his fortune into developing an American-made racer to compete in the 24 hour event.

Cunningham was excited by the prospect of racing at Le Mans but was also uncertain what type of vehicle to enter in the famous event.