Ecurie Ecosse set to return with recreated 1960s Jaguar racer

One of Scottish motoring’s most evocative names is to make a spectacular return with a modern-day recreation of a forgotten car from the marque with which it found fame.

In a golden era of endurance racing, Ecurie Ecosse twice won the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours in the 1950s, the privateer outfit claiming backto-back glories with its Jaguar D-Type against the might of factory teams such as Ferrari and Porsche.

Triple Formula One World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart, Sir Stirling Moss and David Coulthard are among those to have raced its famous blue cars, as well as Courier Country racer Tommy Dickson who drove for the outfit at the French classic in the 1960s.

It has retained a presence on the track in recent years and Angus teenager Sandy Mitchell became the British GT Championship’s then youngest ever driver when he raced – and won – for the team at just 16 years old in 2016.

In a spectacular new chapter for the famous name, Ecurie Ecosse has revealed its recreation of a prototype racer shelved by Jaguar, but now to be reborn as a 177mph road-legal sports car – with a price tag of around £750,000.

The Jaguar XJ13 had been destined to mount a Le Mans challenge in 1969, but lack of funding and other projects for the famous marque meant it never materialised.

Named the Ecurie Ecosse LM69, the reimagined racer stays true to the XJ13, with the V12 engine being built to the same specification as the original.

Just 25 of the six-figure machines will be built.