Chrysler 300 Club International Gil Cunningham March 12, 1942 - June 12, 2022
Gil Cunningham and the Chrysler 300 Club International. The two are inseparable in my mind.
Back in the summer of 1984, the phone rang and
Gil asked if he could stop by. He was on vacation in the area, saw my name in the roster
and figured he would say hello. I was a new member of the club. I didn't know anyone
and all I had was a ratty rusted H coupe but Gil stopped by anyway. I've never forgotten
his warm and engaging personality, his encouragement and advice.
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I've known Gil for a shorter time than all of you but always found him a delight and respected and enjoyed his comments.
Gil surprised me with his decoding of my F, when he [correctly] advised me that it was never an a/c car. Since it had an a/c dash and cowl, I had assumed it started with a/c and that was subsequently removed. This certainly explained why my generator, various pulleys and brackets weren't on the car. I of course wasn't surprised when he mentioned my F rolled off the assembly line with its coat of Toreador Red exterior paint, complemented by its tan interior. Though I know some Club members have commented on my F's interior and exterior wearing incorrect colors, Gil never did, and I've grown to like the car the way it is.
I am so sorry to hear the news. I never had the pleasure of meeting him in person.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. He was a wonderful man.
Gil and Carol were the first club people I met in person, the first of many who inspired my involvement. Gil holds a special place with me.
I "thot" (as Gil would write) it fitting to take the G out today. I went to a show on old Route 66, officiated by NHRA legend and former letter car owner Chris Karamasines. I picked up this trophy. Maybe Gil was looking down on the cars. I will always remember it from this day.
Our sympathy to Gil’s family and all that loved him. He will be missed.
This is sad news. Gil Cunningham's passing is a great loss to all of us in the 300 family. He will be dearly missed.
Gil was a thoughtful man and really a treasure who cared deeply about the Club and the cars. I consider myself fortunate to have spent time with him last year, though it was difficult to see him so compromised.
I wish we could have met him back in the day. Thanks go to Gil and many other long time club
members for the legacy of the club and what it means to those of us trying to preserve (and drive) 300s…
It’s more than a club, it’s a community.
With heavy heart and mind Marnie and I send our thoughts and prayers to the Cunningham family. Gil will be missed. He provided the strong keel and rudder to make our Club what it is today and a respected entity for authentication of our Letter Cars. Always helpful, courteous, and responsive. Gil and Carol provided our Club with enlightenment. He was a giver and we were blessed to receive his gifts.
Gil has just always been there. Truly hard to comprehend. My best to his family.
Gil was such a sweet man. Our lives have been enriched by knowing him. He was our first President AND our “First Man.”
I think I'll best remember Gil sitting in the red H, late at night smoking a pipe and watching the old parking lot crew party away into the night. I asked Carol about it and she said - oh he does that. I never asked him what his thoughts were but I sure was curious. He looked exactly as if he was reenacting the 300 commercial. You know the one where the guy is driving the convertible with the pipe in his mouth. We all shared different pieces of him. We were incredibly lucky to have known him.
Gil was always so academic, but soft-spoken. A real class act. I enjoyed speaking with him alone in the parking lot in the late evening because you always came away with some tid-bit of knowledge you hadn't known before. He made everyone feel like you had been his friend for years.
I am very sorry to hear about Gil's passing. He always wrote back with a nice note
when I had a 300 vin decoded. I always looked forward to seeing him at meets. He will be missed.
My sincere condolences to Gil's family and friends and to all of you for whom Gil was mighty important and mightily loved. I never met him nor many of you who he left behind. I've not been in the club long and I'm working to catch up. In so doing I've read about Gil and become aware of his irreplaceable contribution to the letter car world. I am thankful for Gil's presence and contribution for which we have all benefited.
A truly great guy, I've spent many an hour at Meets talking to him about everything under the sun.
We all will miss him, RIP dear Gil.
Caroline and I are very sad to hear about Gil. He helped me a lot when I first got my 300C restoration project, as I was a complete novice about these cars. We had the chance to meet with Gil and Carol when we attended the Lancaster PA meet and Gil gave us a ride in his blue 300F at 70 MPH with the top down.
My condolences to the Cunningham family at this time of their loss.
During the 2005 Reno/Tahoe 300 International meet, one of the side tours took us to the oldest bar in Nevada; the Genoa Bar and Saloon. There, my brother Ed and I had a great time talking 300s with Gil and it made for lasting memories. My condolences to his wife Carol and family. He will be missed, but his contributions will live on.
Gil Cunningham was Mr. 300.
He will be missed and never replaced.
Pat and I send our regrets about Gil "Mr. 300". We lost a legend.
Our condolences to Carol "Mopar Mama" and family. We had a lot of fun. Rest in Peace Gil,
While I never directly met Gil I am aware of his vast Mopar/300 knowledge and have seen some of his beautiful cars. My condolences to his wife, family, and close friends.
We are very saddened to hear this unwelcome news. Bonnie and I did not know Gil and Carol and therefore, missed what would have certainly been a good friendship with them.
I had the good fortune to meet Gil, My first thoughts, he is a genuine nice guy. Rest in peace my friend.
Gil was most helpful and responsive when I was tracking down correct spark plug wire for my '61 crossram NY wagon. I even have those back and forth emails saved on my computer from 2008. His genuine good nature and friendliness will be remembered by me and everyone. Godspeed Gil.
Last night I thought long and hard about something and thought I'd share it with you club members. I was very fortunate to call both Gil Cunningham and George Riehl my friends. Over the years Christie and I became close with Gil and Carol along with George and Eleanor.
I have attended several 300 meets and never met Gil, though he was at many I attended and I regret that. But my connection to Gil goes back to the summer of 1973 when I got my rusty old F. Having little knowledge of what to do or how to do it, I contacted the 300 club with questions and enter Gil Cunningham. Thru letters back and forth he gave me the confidence to tackle the F and next year will be 50 years with the car. Had he not spent the time and energy, I probably would have sold the car.
Gil was a soft spoken, genuinely nice person, always helpful. One of the first person to speak to me at my first meet in 2004.
He was a class act, and a living library of 300 letter cars, really.
Rest in peace.
First, I remember vividly the very early days of our club; George, Eleanor, Gil, Carol, Jerry Kocur, me, and Bonnie too. And so many important others too. And a blue F.
Sad news about Gil. He was a very nice guy. I enjoyed a lunch with him at Branson
and looked forward to many chats over the years.
My condolences to the Cunningham family at this time of the passing of Gil.
I always enjoyed interacting with Gil at 300 meetings -- it was quite easy to do! As a former F owner, I always found Gil to be ready to answer any question I might have about my car. I was particularly appreciative of the decoding Gil did at the meets with judging. He will be greatly missed.
I just heard today and so sad of our dear friend passing. Gil was as helpful as could be when you needed some 300 info and guidance. While traveling for work in the 70s Gil and Carol opened their home to me and always felt so at home. He will missed. RIP Gil.
I became a member of the Chrysler 300 Club International, Inc. in February of 1975 after purchasing my 1957 Cloud White 300 C Convertible In West Virginia. The car was a 29,000 mile car -fairly complete, in need of restoration in my view, but running well enough to drive it to Canada in one day. The only hard item that was missing on the car was the grille medallion- it seemed all of them had the propensity to fall out after the adhesive had dried out.
Send your thoughts and photos to bob@simplexco.com and I'll post them. |
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