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Strother MacMinn’s LeMans Coupe
1958 LeMans Coupe
— The Most Exciting Sports Car Design Constructed In The USA In Years —
Robert Cumberford: SCG Magazine, March 1960
No other “Special” of the 1950s captured the imagination of the public as the design, build and debut of Strother MacMinn and John Bond’s LeMans Coupe. Bond created the “challenge” and designed the chassis; MacMinn conceived the body. Considering the concept was penned and published in 1958, the styling was futuristic, the goal was lofty and the challenge was inspirational.
The design originated in a series of articles which were focused on creating a race car that could win the LeMans race in Europe. The challenge in the articles was to “America.” They encouraged individuals and teams to embrace their project and build a car. One team created designs for the chassis while the legendary stylist and Art Center instructor, Strother MacMinn, designed the body. MacMinn later extended the designs in his 1959 book “Sports Cars of the Future” to include several versions of the LeMans Coupe that encompassed race and sports cars.
“The Most Exciting Sports Car Design Constructed in the USA in Years”
Although no versions of the race car were ultimately built, several versions of the sports car using MacMinn’s design were finished. And as Robert Cumberford, designer, stylist and author put it in his 1960 article for Sports Car Guide (SCG) magazine, the finished sports car was “The most exciting sports car design constructed in the USA in years.”
Only seven known bodies were built and four versions of the car were finished – just one of these four finished cars is known to exist today. Dennis Kazmerowski is the first person in over sixty years to take on the task of completing a MacMinn LeMans Coupe. He’s doing this with one of the three unfinished cars. His LeMans Coupe is well on its way to being finished and made its mid-restoration debut in the General Motors Design Dome at the 2022 “Eyes on Design” celebration of cars in Detroit, Michigan. Photos of the car at the event are shown above and below.
Click Here To Read The Full Story On The 1958 LeMans Coupe
Where Can I See The LeMans Coupe?
Next Showing: GM Design Dome: Saturday June 18, 2022
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LeMans Coupe Teams And Their Cars
Two Teams; Four Finished Cars, Three Projects / Bodies
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Articles About The LeMans Coupe
Vintage Articles
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Modern Articles
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Bob Gurr Collection
LeMans Art and Coupe Styling Model
Strother MacMinn’s LeMans Coupe Styling Model
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Strother MacMinn Original Drawings
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Bob Gurr Interview (Focus on Mac and the LeMans Coupe)
Automobile Designer, Original Disney Imagineer, Best Friend to “Mac” and More
Undiscovered Classics: June 19, 2022
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An Interview With Bob Gurr – Making Dreams Come True
Dean’s Garage: June 15, 2010
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Drawings, Artwork and Blueprints
Strother MacMinn Drawings
From Books and Articles
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Dan Palatnik Renderings
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LeMans Coupe Blueprints
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LeMans Coupe Handouts For Shows
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Interview, Quotes and Memories
What Do People Remember? What Do People Think?
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Biographies
Learn More About Strother MacMinn
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Learn More About John Bond
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QuickLinks
LeMans Coupe Build / Restoration 1
Owner: Dennis Kazmerowski
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Watch For Our Latest Book
America’s Challenge: Strother MacMinn’s LeMans Coupe
Available 2023
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