IGNITION Festival of Motoring will celebrate one of Scottish motorsport’s greatest ever feats this summer, when the famous Ecurie Ecosse team bring an exclusive line-up of their finest machinery, old and new, to the SEC Glasgow.
60 years on from their famous 1-2 finish in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, a rare occurrence for a privateer, IGNITION will showcase some of the iconic cars that made the Ecurie Ecosse name during the late 1950’s, including the Jaguar C-Type.
Also appearing at the festival will be the new age Ecurie Ecosse Team, fronted by Director and Driver Alasdair McCaig, that recently followed in their predecessors footsteps by taking to the Circuit de la Sarthe to take part in the ‘Road to Le Mans’, a curtain raiser to June’s main event.
A total of four cars will join Ecurie’s famous Transporter on display:
- Ecurie Ecosse C-Type Jaguar – the last C-Type to run in the famous colours of Ecurie Ecosse, the car was bought by Sir James Scott Douglas to race in the 1953 season. Having been restored, this C-Type spent many years in the USA before its current owner brought it back to the UK in 2006. More recently, it competed in the Mille Miglia twice as part of the Jaguar Heritage team.
- Ecurie Ecosse transporter – developed in the years following the teams’ 1-2 finish at Le Mans 24-Hours in 1957, the transporter was commissioned to further support Ecurie’s blossoming success. The unique design housed a lower deck enclosed at the front with sleeping accommodation and space for one car. Hydraulic ramps were installed to raise a further two cars to the upper level where the cars stretched out over the cab. The transporter was eventually finished in time for the 1960 motor racing season and has become synonymous with the Ecurie Ecosse name.
- Ecosse-Rover (Chassis 003) ‘Reggie’ – the car made its debut at the Silverstone 1000kms race meeting in 1986 where it led the Group C2 class until it retired. Later in the season, however, it scored three Group C2 wins, the final one being at the Fuji circuit in Japan where Ray Mallock and Belgian driver Marc Duez gave Ecurie Ecosse the C2 World Championship. This Ecosse was named ‘Reggie’ because that was the nickname of the Rover car owned by the father of Team Manager Richard Williams.
- Vauxhall Cavalier, 1993 BTCC Car – driven by Scottish driver David Leslie in the 1993 BTCC alongside Tiff Needell, Harry Nuttall and Chris Goodwin. Leslie secured 4 pole positions and two race wins that year with Ecurie Ecosse Vauxhall taking 2nd place in the Manufacturers Championship.
- Ligier LMP3 – representing the modern day face of Ecurie Ecosse, the Ligier LMP3 currently races in both the Henderson LMP3 Cup and The Le Mans Cup. The team currently leads the UK LMP3 Cup and stand in second position in the Road to Le Mans Championship.
The Ecurie Ecosse showcase will feature on each day of the 3-day motoring extravaganza from 4-6 August at Glasgow’s SEC.
Cat Stanford, IGNITION Festival Director, said: “We’re delighted to mark one of Scottish motorsport’s greatest hours with a celebration of all things Ecurie Ecosse, in this the 60th year of their 1957 24 Hours of Le Mans victory. For a small, private garage in Edinburgh to record a 1-2 finish in one of motorsport’s biggest races was nothing short of incredible and we’re thrilled to offer festival goers a chance to see the team’s classic machinery in all its glory this summer.”
“We’re also pleased to feature the new face of Ecurie Ecosse with drivers Alasdair McCaig and Colin Noble set to bring their #79 Ligier to Glasgow, hot on the heels of a number of race wins in their debut LMP3 season. It’s another great addition to what’s shaping up to be a stellar line-up for IGNITION 2017.”
The Ecurie Ecosse showcase is just one of the bumper attractions at this year’s IGNITION Festival of Motoring which returns with an eclectic line-up of cars, bikes, stunts and much more.
Building on the success of 2016’s inaugural event, IGNITION 2017 – Scotland’s biggest automotive showcase – will celebrate all things motoring with a specially constructed street circuit giving fans the unique opportunity to get up close to the sights, sounds and smells of everything from rally, Formula 1 and supercars to classic cars and motorbikes.
This year’s event will pay homage to Scotland’s rich rally heritage by uniting some of the sports’ most famous icons. Boasting an impressive six World Rally Championships between them, legends Ari Vatanen, Miki Biasion, Timo Salonen, Markku Alen and Stig Blomqvist will bring their championship winning cars to the streets of Glasgow for an unmissable rally spectacle.
Other racing talent on the star-studded bill include five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae and three-time BTCC winner Gordon Shedden, who’ll be joined by F1 presenter Lee McKenzie reporting live from the street circuit.
New additions for 2017 include an outdoor Ride and Drive Zone, offering motor enthusiasts the chance to test their skills on a range of driving and bike experiences, as wells as an indoor arcade which will host an array of games and experiences to cater for the whole family.
Other notable features include: 70 years of Ferrari – a tribute to the history and legacy of the famous prancing horse; a supercar grid to rival any, featuring Lamborghinis, Porsches, McLarens, Mustangs, Mercedes and more; the return of the Japspeed Drift Team, a huge hit with fans at last year’s event; plus, hundreds of exhibitors showcasing the latest releases with the opportunity for visitors to buy their next car or bike at the event.
