Cunningham for sale
James Cunningham, Son & Company was another 19th century horse carriage maker that made the transition into automobile production at the turn of the century. Based in Rochester, New York, the company built a reputation for making exceptional, though expensive automobiles.After assuming control of the carriage company after his father's death in 1886, Joseph Cunningham continued making carriages and sleighs. Around 1896, he decided to foray into horseless carriages, particularly electric ones. But the market for such vehicles dried up, mostly because the vehicles were extremely slow.
By 1908, the automobile industry was taking off and the Rochester-based company was under new leadership following the retirement of Joseph Cunningham and the succession of his son Augustine and president. Automobile production began that year, but the change was gradual. Initially, it only built chassis and assembled parts from other sources. The cars were gas-powered with four-cylinder engines that came mostly came from popular U.S. suppliers like Buffalo and Continental. Other parts came from a number of manufacturers.
The new leadership at Cunningham assembled a new team of engineers and started offering its own complete automobiles. The first was the 4-cylinder Model J, which came in a touring car, runabout, limousine and landaulet. Prices were as high as $4,500, which was expensive for that time. The Model J was followed by the Model M (1913), the Model R (1914) and the Model S (1915). All were fairly large and pricey, too.
In 1916 and 1917, Cunningham introduced its series of V-8 models, among the first V-8s in the country, with the introduction of the V-1 Cunningham. This series relied on outside parts once again, including electrical systems purchased from Westinghouse. These were large, heavy cars with lavish, sometimes custom-made-exteriors. Prices exceed well over $5,000 for the top of the line models. The V series also included the V-2 (1918) and the V-3 (1920). In 1919, race car driver Ralph de Palma drove a V-3 Cunningham roadster reached a top speed of 98 miles per hour at the Sheepshead Bay Race Track.
The Great Depression affected Cunningham along with many other automakers of the time. The company entered the aircraft production in 1928 and produced a bi-wing plane that was able to land at low speed. Five aircraft designs were produced, mostly prototypes, and the company made mostly parts until it was dissolved in 1948. Automobile production, meanwhile, ended in 1931, and the company totally went out of business in 1936.
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