Just recently one of our very good friends and close associates for racemotionpix.com and nevadamusclecars.com, brought to us a number of old b/w pictures of many sports cars that he and his father owned many years back in the South Florida area. In the near future we will be posting some more photos, possibly some video production and some background info on the cars. Below are just a couple of photos of 2 VERY RARE Corvettes they owned in the early to mid 1960’s. One is an ex-Briggs Cunningham 1960 Corvette that ran as #1 at Le Mans and was the purchased from Cunningham and converted into a Custom Vette. The second is a Scaglietti Corvette , which is one of only three ever built through efforts with the Chevy Engineering Team and the likes of Carrol Shelby,Jim Hall, Ed Cole and the famous Italian coachworks.
Please come back soon as we post few more pics and some additional insights into these iconic sports cars…….Until then…TACH IT UP….!!!
This is the ex Briggs Cunningham Le Mans 1960 Corvette that was customized after they purchased the Vette through “Willie” Fricke and was built in their South Florida garage. More pics to follow soon of part of the transformation and customizing of the ’56 single light fenders and custom nose and rear treatment in progress. This car was just recently found after many years in a Florida warehouse and is supposedly going to be shown this month at Corvette Show in Carlisle, PA……
Rear quarter shot of the “Customized” Ex-Cunningham #1 Corvette showing the revised rear treatment with tail lights on rear panel and small bumpers relocated to center. Also large vent reversed scoop on removable hardtop can been seen along with the recessed side exit exhaust just behind rear of door. These pictures are from April, 1962
The famed #1 on the grid for Le Mans prior to the start
The start of the 1960 Le Mans 24 Hours. The #1 Cunningham/Kimberley Vette along the inside up the hill towards the famous Dunlop Bridge…
(Photo from Forza Magazine)
The Ex-Cunningham Le Mans Corvette #1 being stripped of it’s race front end in prep of new fenders and custom nose
Custom fiberglass work well underway on the Cunningham Le Mans to Custom Roadster conversion. Here you can clearly see the race #1 on rear of door from the 24 Hr Race and the classic Halibrand Knock Off wheels and the side exit exhaust in front of the changed radius rear quarter.
New single light ’56 fenders now in place with the side coves filled in and custom nose being mocked up. Can also barely see the #1 on hood and the scoop used for the race….
Front fender shot with side cove work about complete. Also can see the larger brake drum that was run for the race and the knock off spinner and spindle.
Partial rear quarter showing the fiberglass work to square off the larger stock wheel radius…
The finished CUSTOM CUNNINGHAM CORVETTE now with the new nose, fenders, rear and side cove treatments. Also, more to the style of a ’50’s Custom with the wide whites and spinner hub caps……..I will have to find out where the iconic Halibrand Wheels went? Maybe back to Briggs’s group or to Fricke?
This is the Scaglietti Corvette, believed to be the first of the three made, here in this picture in South Florida in 1962. This car was purchased from the original owner, Gary Laughlin, who got it through his connections with Carrol Shelby in Texas. This car was then in the Boswell Family until the early 1970’s. More to come in the future on this rare machine…..
(PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE PERRY BOSWELL ARCHIVES)
Great photos, and good catch by Loren too about that Sebring shot. Quite confusing at a quick glance given the number swaps between then and Le Mans.
BSC registry states that #1 Le Mans was passed along to Bill Frick with the other two cars and they were all stripped of Le Mans equipment, including the engines having been removed earlier by Momo. Other commentary states the Frick also repainted them white and passed along back to BSC as ‘road cars’ or to be sold by Don Allen……Perry’s photos seem to indicate otherwise— that #1 was acquired directly from either BSC or Bill Fricke without being repainted or stripped? Would that be a proper estimation of the photos presented?
I spoke with Perry this am, as we continue to work on some “projects” together, and I will have him contact you directly to answer about his Dad getting the #1 Vette from Cunningham and Fricke without the engine and as a “Beat Up” race car.
Thanks for visiting and asking questions…
GREG
Thanks Greg, very much appreciated. I hope to hear from the family soon–what amazing foresight to take all those photos!
Thank you for coming to the site and for your comments and correction on the #1 Picture. Both Perry and I assumed that was the accident was from Le Mans…….I will make correction on this post. I will send you Perry Boswell’s email separately to your email and feel free to contact him as I have forwarded your comment and request to him and he looks forward to a chat.
I am Larry Berman, Cunningham Motorsport Historian and would like to contact Perry Boswell, Jr. (?) to clear up my records.
In 2004, prior to his untimely passing, Chip Miller gave me the VIN no. for Corvette #1 and requested that I hold it until after he passed away. I did that then posted it on my hobby website http://www.briggscunningham.com where it sat until June, 2012.
At that time, Rick Carr (who inherited the car along with his mother) did a Google search of the VIN No. and contacted me.
I suspect that you are aware that the car will finally be auctioned at RM Sothebys at Amelia Island, FL on May 22, 2021.
The above is a fascinating blog.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Larry Berman
Your pictured #1 rollover is NOT the Kimberly wreck at Le Mans. It is the John Fitch #1 (VIN 2538) AT SEBRING that lost a wheel/hub.
How would I establish contact with the Boswell family. I own the 1960 Camoradi Corvette, #4 at Le Mans in 1960. I would like to learn more about the details of their acquisition of the car from Bill Frick. Thanks.