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Cunningham History

The Cunningham automobile was produced by Augustine Cunningham, whose manufacturing firm was founded some years prior to 1900. The firm originally produced fine carriages and later shifted production to cars, aircraft, and even automobile chassis for other car makers, but was most famous for its high quality luxury automobiles.

Corporate emphasis
Cunningham’s emphasis was on a quality built product featuring luxury, elegance, and high style. Its products were sometimes innovative, often unique, and in most cases, expensive. When it produced automobiles, its strategy was to build a car equal, or better than, the best European automobile.

Company experimentation
The company in 1896 produced electric-powered buggies, primarily for purposes of experimentation during an era when such electric-powered vehicles were slow, and when vehicles powered by steam required the operator to be certified and licensed.

Car production
Cunningham produced automobiles beginning in 1908, producing cars which sold at approximately $3,500, a very high price for an automobile at the time. Initially the company made only the chassis and assembled the car from items produced by other manufacturers. By 1910, the company was producing all its parts and selling its cars in the range of $4,500 to $5,000.

Production was slow and not attuned to mass production. With 450 workers, a worker could produce only one and a half cars during a production year. Much of the wood and metal-work work on each car was crafted by hand.

A V-8 engine was produced in 1916. It was installed in Cunningham automobiles which were highly regarded because of their clean lines and lack of a running board which was replaced by aluminum steps.

Racing
In 1929 a Cunningham automobile set s speed record of ninety-eight miles per hour.

Production models
Cunningham Inside-Drive Limousine-146-A

Aviation production
In 1928 Cunningham entered the aircraft production field under the name Cunningham-Hall Aircraft Corporation. As with automobile production, its engineers were innovative and were able to produce a bi-wing plane in 1929 that was designed, and was able, to land at the very low speed of thirty-nine miles per hour.

Company demise
Cunningham ceased producing automobiles in 1931, but continued to make bodies for other car manufactures until 1936 when the company finally went out of business.

Reference
http://www.obs-us.com/people/karen/cunningham/chapter4.htm

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