Briggs Cunningham in the 166 Ferrari at Bridgehamption in May 1953. The author would follow the legend from Watkins Glen to Costa Mesa and finally to Naples Florida. Courtesy Briggs Cunninham III.
By Eric Davison
Bruce, Eric and Mary Davison at the Revs Institute.
[The re-opening of the Revs Institute prompted Eric Davison to pay a visit with his wife Mary and son Bruce. Davison has an unusual and long history of involvement with the early years at Watkins Glen, as recounted in his eight part Memoirs of Watkins Glen for VeloceToday. For Davison, this visit to the Revs Institute brought it all together. It began when Davison’s father brought young Eric to Watkins Glen, beginning a three generation span of Davison car enthusiasts. Next week, Revs welcomes the Davisons, where the Bu-Merc and Ferrari 166 are on display once again. Ed.]
Cunningham, Colliers, and the Glen
The excitement, the fun and the life experiences that I enjoyed with my father are never to be forgotten. My Dad, Charles H. A. Davison, Charlie to his friends was a wonderful father in every sense. There are probably still a few old SCCA Detroiters out there who will remember him and his enthusiasm. Although we lived in the Detroit area, Dad was eager to go to the races at Watkins Glen. October 1948 rolled around and although we didn’t make it to the Glen, Dad’s good friend and fellow SCCA member Harold Lance went and he took lots of color slides that were a feature presentation at the next SCCA meeting a Little Harry’s. (Get all the Lance photos when you subscribe to VT) It was awesome. Alfa Romeos, Bugattis and a host of other sports and racing cars that had been in storage for the duration of the war were on the city streets of Watkins Glen. Cunningham entered Bu-Merc that finished second.
Harold Lance's photo of the Cunningham Bu-Merc shown at the sports car club meeting.
For the 1949 event we were ready. My Dad and I had a cabin reserved at the Seneca Lodge and many of the Detroit Region were going to caravan to the Glen. This year Briggs Cunningham appeared with a 166SC Ferrari. He had previously raced it at Bridgehampton. It was a very tiny, modern and racy-looking vehicle and its 12-cylinder motor was a thing of beauty. The main event was won by Sam Collier driving a vintage Riley Nine powered by a Mercury V8. It beat Cunningham’s Ferrari although it did not seem right to me that the basically ugly hot rod creation could best the sleek thoroughbred Ferrari.
Charles Davison caught Briggs Cunningham in the 166 Ferrari at the Glen in 1949.
For 1950, my father decided to drive to the race in style and bought a Jaguar SS100. It was a wonderful car but we had problems with the engine. Sadly, the 1950 race marked the death of Sam Collier, who fatally crashed the Cunningham Ferrari 166 on lap two.
The Ferrari after Sam Collier's fatal crash. Photo by Frank Shaffer.
The trip to the Glen in 1951 was, as always, fun but instead of the SS100 we had a Simca 8. By 1951 Cunningham had created his team of race-winning C-2s. We watched in awe as three of the first four places in the main event were taken by Cunninghams; Walters was first, Fitch second and Briggs Cunningham was fourth.
In 1952, Dad wanted to take Mom this year so he asked me if I would do the unimaginable; drive his newly purchased Squire to Watkins Glen while he and Mom drove her Ford. How could I say no? But this year was to be the last of the street years at the Glen, as Fred Wacker’s Allard tragically killed a small boy. The shortened main event featured the new Cunningham C4Rs and C4RK driven by Cunningham, Phil Walters, and John Fitch.
The Davison Squire at the Glen concours in 1952. Davison photo.
California Bound
The Glen street races were over and I was off to college, then a career in advertising, which took me to California, where in the 1980s I was able to spend time at the Petersen Museum as well as the Nethercutt and later the Mullin Museum. And there, as I had followed Briggs Cunningham to the land of eternal sun, I was also able to spend some time in Southern California in Costa Mesa admiring the cars created, raced and collected by Cunningham. It was an awesome expression of one man’s dedication to great racing automobiles. The Bu-Merc that Cunningham raced at Watkins Glen was on display in Costa Mesa along with the Ferrari that had been driven by the late Sam Collier in 1950, plus just about every other Cunningham ever built.
Royale sighting
Cunningham's Bugatti Royale Kellner Coach at his home in Greens Farms, Connecticut. Courtesy Briggs Cunninham III.
The collection also included a Bugatti Royale, surely one of the rarest and most sought after vehicles of all time but definitely not a racing vehicle. But to see one driven on the road was an experience that could not be easily explained. And that’s what happened in the late 80s, when I was visiting a friend on the Monterey peninsula. As I was driving to his house I was passed going in the other direction by what I thought was a Bugatti Royale.
It was a mind game. I could not possibly have seen what I just saw. There are but six Royales and Bugatti Royales are just not driven on the street. It was obviously a mirage or a recreation. I was sure I was hallucinating!
My friend, a local resident and an expert restorer, reassured me that I was not suffering early dementia, that it was indeed a Bugatti Royale that I had seen. It was the Royale from the Cunningham collection that had recently been purchased by Miles Collier (son of the Miles Collier who participated in the first running of the Watkins Glen Grand Prix and nephew of Sam Collier). According to local lore the Royale didn’t fit in to the theme of his planned museum and the price realized by the sale went a long way towards funding the new operation and was being prepared to ship to England where it would be sold for 5.5 million pounds at the Royal Albert Hall Auction. What better place than the Seventeen Mile Drive to exercise a Bugatti Royale? Like a UFO sighting, finally a rational explanation was on hand.
Later, the Royale at the Costa Mesa Museum, about the time Davison saw it on the road. There is a wonderful full description of what it's like to drive the Royale in Richard Harman's excellent book, 'Cunningham, the Passion, the Cars, the Legacy.' Courtesy Revs.
A perfect deal
That Cunningham sold his cars to Miles Collier was a happy circumstance. Cunningham, Sam and Miles Collier were instrumental in bringing road racing to America. They were the nucleus of the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). They had been close friends for many years. While I was saddened to learn that the Cunningham Museum had closed its doors, the fact that Miles Collier, with the family’s long and rich history of sports car racing had taken it over, made it certain that the collection was headed to a proper new home.
The Briggs Cunningham Museum in Costa Mesa, circa 1982. Courtesy Revs. Photo by Steve Sexton.
Unfortunately for me the collection was to be located in the city of Naples located in Collier County, Florida. Collier County so named because Miles’ grandfather, Barron Collier, had the foresight to purchase 1,000,000 acres of miscellaneous swampy land abutting the Everglades. Collier County is home to Naples, Florida and a few other equally beautiful developments.
As the fates would have it, my wife and I moved from our California digs to Anna Maria, Florida in 2002. Anna Maria is about 120 miles north of Naples, again following the path of the Cunningham collection.
Next week: The Revs Institute today.
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When Briggs took the Cadillacs to Le Mans in 1950, he visited with Bugatti’s daughter and bought 2 of theT. 41 Royale,,the coupe and another one with 4 door
coachwork,,brought them home and sold the latter to good friend D, Cameron Peck for $ 1.00( yes I have seen the ” bill of sale”)
Peck in Evanston, Illinois had the best collection of cars in America. the early Grand Prix
cars in Cunningham collection came from Peck–gave Briggs chance to acquire them before public auction in 1952. Also Briggs wanted to buy 3rd one from daughter but she hung onto Napoleon town car that was so elegant(her father used this one for public appearences with chauffer)
Really appreciate the photographs from Watkins Glen of early street races
and marvelous cars seen just on the streets from fans, The race I was not able to attend back in 1948-52 period.. Stick in School..!
Jim Sitz
Another great article by Eric Davison. Richly described. Lavishly illustrated. Thank you. — Carl Goodwin
anyone remember the story that briggs sold his collection with the unwritten proviso that it be kept complete; then collier sold the royale and got most of his purchase price back?
Don’t remember the story on the T-41 sale, but likely true, it is the difference between a sportsman and a real estate developer. I do recall though that John Burgess told me that Briggs bought the Kellner sands engine, and found the original in a salvage yard in Detroit. Never asked Briggs about it, just good luck…He and I were neighbors on Lido Island in NB, CA, back in the day, I sailed with him often. Have a happy day, Paul
Great stuff, Eric, and good to hear from you. I got a DVD of the first street race in Bridgehampton from the wonderful library/museum at Watkins Glen; it includes the first outing of Cunningham’s Ferrari. I live in Bridgehampton now, work with the museum to get some focus on the town’s racing history, including our late lamented circuit. (I remember a quick, fun trip to Daytona from NY back in the day!)
Come up and visit.
Earl Gandel
I worked for BC in Costa Mesa for five years back in the day.
Jim Sitz- I remember you well.
Paul – The engine was never removed from BC’s Kellner car. Perhaps John Burgess was thinking of the Charles Chayne ( sp ?) car which went to the junk yard. ( And fortunately found.)
Sell price – BC said that and 1950 conditions were quite desparate in France and that he bought the Royale for some small cash and a refridgeration equipment.
Miscellaneous – The Royales were meant to impress, and were not nimble driving machines. Many fantasies are built up around these cars but they are indeed trucks. Consider for a minute that the driver must turn those massive flywheels cum gyro wheels for directional change. Not an easy task.