Seven New Ecurie Ecosse C-Type cars pay tribute to the seven C-type chassis successfully raced by Ecurie Ecosse.
Almost 70 years ago (1952) a Scottish racing driver for Ecurie Ecosse named Ian Stewart visited Jaguar Cars in Coventry to pick up his brand-new C-type Jaguar. He would go on to drive the C-Type to its first race on Jersey against serious competition from the likes of Frazer Nash and Aston Martin. Much to his delight he came in first and would end up being the initial chapter in Ecurie Ecosse’s international motor racing career.
Ecurie Ecosse enjoyed considerable success at the track. With seven C-type chassis raced by the team, a total of 59 podium finishes were amassed. Legendary team manager ‘Wilkie’ Wilkinson tuned the cars and with careful planning by founder David Murray, they were able to demonstrate the full capabilities of the Jaguar C-type on the international stage.
It was the start of a legacy that would see countless wins for the Scottish national team, which includes their most glorious victory at La Sarthe.
The Jaguar C-type was simply a technological work of art. It was the first car that used the wind tunnel and was also the first to utilize fuel ‘bag’ tanks, a technology that was inspired by the aviation world. Another first would be the test bed for Dunlop’s innovative disc brakes.
They employed a steel spaceframe chassis to form the stiff backbone of these vehicles and it was given a lightweight, thin-gauge, Malcolm Sayer designed aluminum body. It was equipped with Jaguar’s iconic ‘overhead cam’ straight-six engine.
Ecurie Ecosse has designed seven new vehicles to honor their past success on the track.
Ecurie Ecosse kept all the important elements that made the 1950s Jaguar racer a huge success, and in keeping with their co-founder ‘Wilkie’ Wilkinson, they have added numerous improvements.
The aerodynamically shaped body retains the thin-gauge aluminum alloy and steel spaceframe chassis although it is wider and stiffer than the previous model and is laser-cut for accuracy. The classic Jaguar straight-six XK engine remains although the capacity has been increased to 4.2 liters and fitted with fuel injection to raise the power output to 300bhp.
To cope with the extra performance of the uprated car, the suspension and disc brakes were improved, and to maximize the acceleration and top speed, they added a five-speed gearbox.
The car’s meticulous detail is exquisite. Inside the cockpit can be found hand-crafted aluminum bucket seats fitted with blue leather by Crest. The car’s flanks are adorned with hand airbrushed Ecurie Ecosse shields, and on the dashboard are Tag Heuer’s ‘Master Time’ stopwatches.
The first car has been completed and is available for viewing and test drive at Hofmann’s, their Henley-on-Thames dealership.
Specifications of the Ecurie Ecosse C-Type
| Chassis | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4050mm |
| Width | 1597mm |
| Height | 1050mm |
| Seats | 2 |
| Minimum Kerb weight | 998Kg |
| Engine | |
|---|---|
| Top Speed | 156 mph |
| 0-62 | 5.2 seconds |
| Engine Capacity | 4235cm2 |
| Fuel Type | Petrol |
| Transmission | 5 speed manual |
| Engine Power BHP | 300 |
| Engine Power RPM | 4750 |
| Engine Torque LB FT | 280 |
| Cylinder – Bore | 92.07mm |
| Cylinder – Stroke | 106mm |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 65 litre |
| Cylinders | 6 |
| Cylinder Layout | Straight |
| Drive Train | Front engine rear drive |
[Source: Ecurie Ecosse]
