James Cunningham, Son and Company was an American business based in Rochester, New York, initially manufacturing horse-drawn coaches, that from 1908 onward developed and produced automobiles. The Cunningham company was a pioneer in automobile production, credited with being one of the world's first developers and manufacturers of automobiles and, in 1916, one of the first carmakers to produce an American V8 engine automobile.[1] Its Cunningham automobile was a pioneering American production automobile.
History
The firm dates to 1838, when James Cunningham joined the carriage firm Kerr, Cunningham, and Company.[2]
Incorporated in 1882, and taken over after James' death in 1886 by his son Joseph, the company made fine carriages and sleighs, and became a leading manufacturer of these vehicles before the turn of the century. Cunningham went on to manufacture automobiles, car bodies (mainly hearses), chassis frames for other marques, and aircraft. Today, it is mainly remembered for high-quality luxury automobiles.
Cunningham's emphasis was on quality vehicles of luxury, elegance, and high style. Its products were sometimes innovative, often unique, and in most cases expensive. When it made automobiles, its strategy was to build a car equal to, or better than, the best from Europe.