Ligier JS2: French supercar with Maserati power

Posted on 08-01-2016 at 23:05 by Dizono – 10 Comments”

You think when you hear of Ligier immediately voiturettes? The manufacturer started out so promising with a fine sports car, the end of the 60s…

In 1968 begins old rugbyer and racing driver Guy Ligier (1930-2015) his own car. In 1969 prsenteert the very brand, the JS1, with the letters a reference to Jo Schlesser. This driver and friend of Ligier lost in 1968 in a raceongeluk. Moreover, Schlesser also the uncle of Jean-Louis Schlesser, the Formula 1 driver that we know of his participation in a buggy on the Dakar rally.

But back to the cars, the JS1 will get in October 1970, during the Mondial de l’automobile in Paris, a sequel: the Ligier JS2. The 1.6-litre Cosworth-block was replaced by a 2.6 Ford V6 with 170 hp. Very nice, on a car weight of just 980 kilograms. Yet it was Guy still not satisfied, and therefore he went in search of a more powerful and exclusive block.

That block was found at Citroën, or actually at Maserati. It was the 3.0 V6 which Maserati developed for the iconic Citroën SM. Three litre capacity and is good for 195 hp. At the same time also slightly lighter than the Ford block, making the car weight down, went to 950 pounds. Good for a top speed of 236 km/h and a 0-100 time of 7.8 seconds. Anything but impressive today, but for the time retesnel. In fact, the faster you got it in those days, not in France.

Almost gain in Le Mans

The real passion of Guy Ligier was at the race and so there are quite a few of the 225 ever built exeplaren adapted for use on the circuit. In 1975, a Ligier JS2 handsome second during the 24 hours of Le Mans, only one round of the winnars Bell and Ickx. Since 24-hour racing with a Maserati engine is not the most sensible thing you can do, this for Le Mans replacement for the well-known 3.0 V8 Cosworth. The same block that also in the Gulf GR8 of the winners of the lag by the way.

The success of Le Mans despite, at that time were the already huge sales of the JS2 is completely subsided. After the oil crisis of 1973 were benzineslurpende cars are simply less in demand. Ligier decided, therefore, to focus on the production of small cars, voiturettes as you want, which, incidentally, is still a type name have starting with JS.

And still a question for Friday-bonus points: what is the manufacturer of voiturettes built a supercar?

Gallery: Ligier JS2

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