At the end of World War I, Cunningham's uncle street raced a Dodge Touring car that was powered by a Hispano-Suiza airplane engine. Briggs would accompany him on many of these races, thus fueling his interests for automotive racing.
Cunningham was a wealthy man. His father, who passed away when Briggs was only five, was the founder and president of the Citizens' National Bank and a director of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
He married the grand daughter of Standard Oil's co-founder.
Briggs went to Yale, and his classmates and friends from that time were pivotal in some ways to his successes. One friends father was the head of Chrysler engineering, and came through with new Hemi engines when Cadillac withdrew engine support, powering the C1 and C2 Cunningham cars.
The Collier Brothers also were college friends, and were race car drivers for Briggs and founders of the Automobile Racing Club of America, which is where Briggs met Luigi Chinetti, winner of the 1949 Le Mans, who invited Briggs to race in Le Mans in 1950 with the pair of 1950 Cadillacs.
Cunningham amassed a collection of automobiles that included the first Ferrari in the United States, sold to him by Luigi Chinetti, and a Bugatti Royale, one of only six made.
Found on https://www.facebook.com/groups/505973489414476/?fref=nf
Learn more at http://www.briggscunningham.com/home/le-mans-era/lemans50-html/
http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z8847/Cadillac-Le-Monstre.aspx
