William H. Frick

0/0/1916 - 12/11/2000

Record updated 03-Apr-07

Engineer who helped build Briggs Cunnungham's race cars, passed away at age 84. Frick and Paul Walters (also known as Ted Tappett) Frick-Tappett Motors, prepared two Cadillacs and with the help of 1949 winner Luigi Chinetti, they were entered in the 1950 Le Mans race. One of these was fitted with a stock body, but the second was fitted with a custom built, which for obvious reasons was nick-named 'Le Monstre' by the French. To take on the strong competition the following year, Cunnigham bought Walters' and Frick's shop to form B.S. Cunningham Co, which was based out of West Palm Beach, Florida. In 51 Frick squeezed 220 b.h.p out of the new Crysler engines by increasing the compression by 15% and adopting four Zenith downdraught carburettors.