History
LeMans Coupe (1958)
Design By Strother MacMinn
1958 LeMans Coupe by Strother MacMinn
— 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.
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, and is doing this with one of the three unfinished cars. His LeMans Coupe made its mid-restoration debut in the General Motors Design Dome at the 2022 “Eyes on Design” celebration in Detroit, Michigan. The finished car debuts at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August, 2023.
Click Here To Read The Complete LeMans Coupe Story
Explore The Links Below
LeMans Coupe Registry
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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Articles Posted on Undiscovered Classics
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Bob Gurr Collection
LeMans Coupe Art, Coupe Styling Model, Bob Gurr Interviews
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Drawings, Renderings, Artwork, Blueprints and Handouts
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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Books By Undiscovered Classics
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Click Here To View Above Book On New Screen
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Watch For Our Latest Book on the LeMans Coupe
America’s Challenge: Strother MacMinn’s LeMans Coupe
Available Soon
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