Healey Silverstone V8 Cunningham special 1949
2018 Antwerp Classic Salon - Antwerpen (B)

In 1949 Donald Healey introduced the Healey Silverstone, a road legal racing car with cycle wings over the wheels. It came with a 4-cylinder 2.5 Liter Riley engine, which was potent enough to power this lightweight car to a top speed of 170 kph. For American entrepreneur and racing car driver Briggs Cunningham that was not enough, he requested Donald Healey to built him a special model powered by a 5.4 Liter Cadillac V8. That resulted in the extra large Silverstone shown here.
Cunningham raced the car in the USA during the 1949 season. It remained a one-off and is actually signed by Donald Healey on a little plaque in the cockpit which reads: "This car was built specially for Mr. Briggs Cunningham 1949. Donald Healey."