Miller Family Sells Le Mans-Winning 1960 Cunningham Corvette, Now Part of the Irwin Kroiz Collection
One of the most famous Corvette race cars in history has just been sold! The Miller Family and Corvette collector Irwin Kroiz recently came to an agreement for an undisclosed sum and now the No.3 1960 Cunningham Corvette will join the family of many famous Corvettes in the Irwin Kroiz Collection.
It’s not often that we see special Corvettes like the 1960 Cunningham Corvette change hands, and we reached out to both Lance and Irwin about the sale of the former racecar.
“During Amelia Island this past year, my dear friend Irwin Kroiz and I were discussing cars. In particular, if I had any interest in selling the Cunningham Corvette which happened to be on display along with the C8 Cunningham tribute car all weekend,” Lance said in an email to CorvetteBlogger.
“It is something that I have thought about from time to time but it just never quite seemed like the ‘right’ time,” he added.
“However, after discussing with my mom and family, it became clear that it was the right time and the decision was made even easier knowing that the car was going to someone who would cherish the car just as much as my dad and myself did.”
Irwin, who has been thinking for a long time about purchasing this Holy Grail of Corvettes, tells us via email that he is so thankful that Lance Miller has given him the opportunity to be the Corvette’s next caretaker. The car will be moved to its new home to be part of Irwin’s collection where it will live on for future generations.
The Irwin Kroiz collection includes a number of noteworthy Corvettes and he often shares select examples at Bloomington Gold and the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals shows. Highlights of Irwin’s collection include the 1956 Corvette SR-2, 1962 Bardahl Racer, 1966 427/425 Tanker, a 1967 Corvette Factory L88 Coupe (last one built!), the 1968 Corvette Factory L88 Sunray DX #3 racer (Sebring Class Winner), and a 1969 Corvette Factory L88 One-Owner Black on Black Coupe.
The No.3 Cunningham Corvette at Le Mans
The tale of the Le Mans Corvettes begins in Cincinnati, Ohio with Briggs Cunningham, a young man born into a family of wealth and privilege. After winning the most prestigious yachting race America’s Cup, he set his sights on winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in an American car with American drivers.
Following several efforts in the fifties with his own race cars, in 1960 Cunningham brought a team of Cunningham Corvettes to be entered in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. All three cars had the same high-performance options installed with the help of Zora Arkus-Duntov and back door assistance from Chevrolet. The three Corvettes were numbered 1, 2, and 3 with the #3 Corvette driven by John Fitch and Bob Grossman. The day of the race it was raining and Fitch and Grossman became famous for driving through hours of slippery rain while at the same time passing each car in front of them.
It was during that first Le Mans race that those racing the Corvettes showed their “Never Give Up” attitude when one of the mechanics mistakingly took off the radiator cap and most of motor coolant sprayed out of the radiator and was lost. Because of the track rules, nobody was allowed to put fluid in the radiator if the car had been running less than 25 laps. So, the mechanics took a cooler with ice and stacked the ice on the intake manifold and engine block to keep the engine cool while racing around the track.
In spite of the problems, Bob Grossman crossed the finishing line and placed 1st in class and 8th overall. This was a great accomplishment for Corvette’s history.
The Quest for the No.3 Cunningham Corvette
After the No.3 Corvette won its class at Le Mans, the three Cunningham race cars were returned to the United States where they were converted back to street use and sold as used cars to unsuspecting owners. The hunt and restoration of the No.3 Corvette was featured in The Quest documentary that tells the tale of Corvettes at Carlisle co-founder Chip Miller in his search for the missing Le Mans Corvette.
That search was jumpstarted after “Corvette Hunter” Kevin Mackay turned up the three VINs of the 1960 Corvettes while searching the Le Mans racing archives. With the VIN in hand, the car was located and eventually purchased for Chip.
Chip’s dream was to restore the No.3 Corvette and return to Le Mans in 2010 with original driver John Fitch to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of their historic win. That dream was unfortunately cut short in 2004 when Chip passed away from an extremely rare disease called amyloidosis. His son Lance picked up his father’s quest and in 2010 returned the No.3 Cunningham racer and its driver to Le Mans to celebrate 50 years of Corvette Racing at the French Classic.
Time for a New Home
Corvettes like the No.3 Corvette are rare, not just for being the first Corvette to win at Le Mans, but rare in the sense that it’s a Corvette with an amazing history that has touched so many different people in a profound way. Cars like these become personalities in their own right, and even members of the family as long-term owners often describe these special vehicles.
As the 1960 Cunningham Corvette begins its new chapter of ownership, we know the car and its history will be in great hands with Irwin, and we hope he continues the tradition of showing the car in public so that others can also touch the history of the first Corvette to win Le Mans.
Lance sums it all in these final thoughts:
“I have so many amazing memories with this car that I will forever be grateful. I also know that Irwin will also have many wonderful memories with this car wherever his travels will take him. I’ve been fortunate to carry on the journey that my dad started with this historical Corvette and I know the journey will not end with Irwin. It is in amazing hands! As my father would frequently say – “Life is good.”
Related:
[VIDEO] A Tribute to John Fitch
[PICS] The 1960 Le Mans Winning Corvette at the Concours d’Elegance of America
[VIDEO] 1960 #3 Le Mans Corvette Prepares for Historic Return to France
