Launch of the Ecurie Ecosse LM69

USPA NEWS - Ecurie Ecosse started life as a small, resourceful racing team from Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded with a meagre budget in November 195l by Fl racing driver-turned entrepreneur David Murray. The outfit would go on to defy all odds by grabbing back-to-back victories at Le Mans, becoming champions in 1956 and 1957. The achievements were nothing short of remarkable. Murray´s “˜Team Scotland´ was based at Merchiston Mews, a cobble-laden lane of garages in suburban Edinburgh. Backed by fellow Scottish motor racing enthusiasts, and the talents of mechanic “˜Wilkie´ Wilkinson, the team was quickly regarded as one of the most potent forces in the country, competing at three successive Fl British Grand Prix from 1952-54 .

The birth of the Ecurie Ecosse LM69
Fifty years on, and the spectacular LM69 was launched at the Concours of Excellance in style in the stunning setting of Hampton Court.

While remaining true in spirit and sympathetic to the style of the fabulous XJ13, its bodywork has been developed into an all-new design that has its own purposeful beauty. The quad -cam V12 is the heart of the car, a unique signature that has been designed to evoke the experience of driving at Le Mans in 1969. Not only is the LM69 suitable for track use, it´s fully road-legal. A strict brief was established from the start. The design and engineering team would have to adhere to the regulations of the time, and feature only design details and technology that entered motorsport no later than early 1969.
As the XJ13 would have done had it been prepared for serious competition use, the LM69 benefits from innovations that appeared during that exciting era. Composite materials have been used, it´s lighter than the original car, and it boasts experimental aerodynamic devices, wider wheels and tyres, as well as a much-improved engine.

Only 25 will be produced, in keeping with the 1969 FIA homologation requirements and to maintain its exclusivity. Each one will be individually hand-built in the West Midlands by the best British craftsmen in their field.

The Car
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 . It is achingly beautiful, yet with the menace and purposefulness that you would expect of a car designed to win the greatest race on earth! The team shared the design concept with legendary race driver Jackie Oliver who, along with Le Mans legend Jacky lckx, won the race in 1969 in their Ford GT40. Jackie was very impressed and guided Ecurie Cars on the key aerodynamic debate that was happening at the time, including the foibles of the mighty Porsche 917 that was introduced in 1969, before it was tamed by the aero genius of John Horsman and the John Wyer team who showed the Stuttgart team how to turn the 917 into a competitive car. Jackie said “it would have been interesting to have had another British competitor at the race, not least as the GT40 won the race against the faster Porsches through better reliability and great team work. It would have been a mouth-watering prospect!"