Dreams of Glory Classic Racing Car
This is the wonderful story of the creation of a beautifully innovative 1960s race car that Ecurie Ecosse might have taken to Le Mans in 1969 had they decided to develop their own car...the Ecurie Ecosse LM69.
With over 60 years of racing history, Ecurie Ecosse has embodied the winning spirit of the underdog, and with our racing pedigree and iconic blue cars, we have remained a popular automotive icon. We have raced in the most exciting racing championships, including Formula 1 and the 24 hours of Le Mans.
When a group of car enthusiasts like ourselves get together, conversation inevitably turns to debates about which era produced the most exciting, beautiful, innovative race cars?
This is exactly the kind of conversation that prepared the ground for what has turned into a fascinating and far reaching project.
The debate has over 100 years of motoring history to draw on and is never-ending as we all have our own personal taste.
But at Ecurie Ecosse we found, by common consensus, that we are all passionate about automotive design and the racing history of the mid to late 1960s.
At that time, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Maserati, Alfa Romeo and Jaguar, along with many others, were producing iconic designs for both road and track. Our Le Mans success as Ecurie Ecosse, in the 1950s, led us to dream about the wins we could have had in the next decade. We have long pondered that ‘What if?’ question - what if Ecurie Ecosse had designed our own car in the 1960s?
Well, going on for 60 years later, we have (along with our partners)! the car we have come up with never existed in the 1960s, but definitively answers that “What If?”
The prototype for this car was first put together by engineer Neville Swales. Working from small beginnings in his workshop in Coventry, England, Neville has been quietly creating meticulously engineered cars inspired by Jaguar’s 1966 XJ13 Le Mans Prototype. That car was originally designed to return Jaguar to their glory days at Le Mans and was meant to take on the might of Ford and Ferrari. Sadly, Jaguar’s car never turned a wheel in anger.
Neville always harboured an ambition to design and engineer a car that would combine his knowledge and all that was great about late 1960s race cars – cars like the Ferrari 312P, the Porsche 908, the Alpine A220, the Lola T70 and the mighty Ford GT40.
Design Q
Design Q, founded in 1997, is an internationally recognised, multi-award-winning automotive and aviation design consultancy. CEO Howard Guy was a former Principal Designer at Jaguar from 1987 to 1997 and worked on the design of the XJ and XJR. Working alongside Swales with his design team, Howard has acted as a catalyst for this project and proposed that Swales seek our backing and expertise based on our historical involvement with Le Mans racing.
Howard’s vision presented a fantastic opportunity to create something truly unique, a car that pays homage to a phenomenal era, a brilliant race team, and the event that inspired everything, the Le Mans 24 hours.
The talented team of automotive designers at Design Q were tasked with designing a car that could have raced at Le Mans in 1969. With this unique brief, strict guidelines had to be set. As the car was due to race in 1969, no technology post-1968 could be used, and engineering and design influences of competitors cars up to and through the 1968 season could be adopted.
Design Q, founded in 1997, is an internationally recognised, multi-award-winning automotive & aviation design consultancy. CEO Howard Guy was a former Principal Designer at Jaguar from 1987 to 1997 and worked on the design of the XJ & XJR. Working alongside Swales with his design team, Howard has acted as a catalyst for this project and proposed that Swales seek our backing and expertise based on our historical involvement with Le Mans racing.
Howard’s vision presented a fantastic opportunity to create something truly unique, a car that pays homage to a phenomenal era, a brilliant race team, and the event that inspired everything, the Le Mans 24 hours.
The talented team of automotive designers at Design Q were tasked with designing a car that could have raced at Le Mans in 1969. With this unique brief, strict guidelines had to be set. As the car was due to race in 1969, no technology post-1968 could be used, and engineering and design influences of competitors cars up to and through the 1968 season could be adopted.
The finished design is a unique Ecurie Ecosse race car that could have raced at Le Mans in 1969 if Ecurie Ecosse had created their own car, the LM69. When I first saw the design for the LM69 I was quite overwhelmed. It is achingly beautiful, yet with the menace and purposefulness that it is designed to win the greatest race on earth! I’m sure that Jackie Oliver and Jacky Ickyx, who won the race in 1969 in their GT40, would have had a major competitor to worry about had this car been on the Le Mans grid 49 years ago. Imagine that!
However, a brilliantly designed race car needs a great engine. Under development currently is our own unique quad-cam V12 power unit, the type which could have been heard howling down the Mulsanne Straight in 1969 and beyond.
Assisted by a team of experienced engine designers and machine shops, we are developing a quad-cam V12 engine that will be “of the period”, albeit incorporating some of the best design practices. It’s being designed to be both powerful (c.95 hp/litre) and a reliably fast race/road engine which celebrates and is inspired by the basic architecture of those engines which powered cars to victory in the late 1960s.
The engine will be available in typical 1960s condition with traditional distributors and mechanical fuel injection, but we plan to offer clients the option of fully programmable fuel injection and ignition due to the much-improved efficiency and tuneability.
The engine is of course normally aspirated, and customers will gain the full visceral experience of a howling V12 race engine inches from the back of their heads (best ensure good ear protection!).
We intend to offer the engine in two capacities – the “standard” 1966 5.0 – 5.3 litre version, and Neville’s own 7.3 litre version that uses the same basic architecture, but bored and stroked. The 7.3 litre engine is expected to exceed 700 hp.
Do you want to dream too?
Potential customers are welcome to participate alongside Ecurie Ecosse and play a part in the bringing of LM69 to life. You can purchase and drive the car for yourself, race it and be a part of the greatest drive that could have happened. Each customer will become a participant in the story, deciding exactly what specification and interior they want, and experience the exquisite engineering and beauty of the Ecurie Ecosse LM69 for themselves.
Production will be limited to just 25 cars.
Got a question?
Call us today on +44 (0)1384 396 550 or leave your information below and we’ll call you back to discuss your requirements.