Ecurie Ecosse
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Ecurie Ecosse was a motor racing team from Scotland. Founded in 1952 by Edinburgh businessman and racing driver David Murray and mechanic Wilkie Wilkinson, its most notable achievement was winning the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans and 1957 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ecurie Ecosse were based at Merchiston Mews in Edinburgh; their cars were always distinctive in their Flag Blue Metallic paint.
The team had four Formula One Grand Prix entries, over three seasons. The first was by David Murray himself, driving a Cooper T20 in the 1952 British Grand Prix. Unfortunately he retired with engine trouble early in the race. For the 1953 event the team entered a pair of cars: the Cooper, this time driven by Jimmy Stewart; and a new Connaught A Type for Ian Stewart. Again, neither finished the race; Jimmy spinning off, and Ian retiring with engine problems. The team's final F1 outing came in the 1954 British Grand Prix, where the Connaught was again entered, this time driven by Leslie Thorne. Sadly, although this time the car did take the finish, it came in twelve laps down on the leaders and was not classified in the results.[1] From this point onward the team concentrated on sportcar events.
In the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans Ron Flockhart and Ninian Sanderson were the winning drivers in a Jaguar D-Type. Ron Flockhart won again with a D-Type in the 1957 event, partnered this time by Ivor Bueb. As if to emphasise that their 1956 victory had not been a fluke, the team's second D-Type - driven by Sanderson and his new partner John Lawrence - finished second, a rare privateer 1-2 finish. Unfortunately the 1958 Le Mans race would prove to be a great anticlimax. Both of the Ecurie Ecosse D-Types, this time with Masten Gregory and Jack Fairman added to the driver line-up, suffered engine failure within a few laps of the start.[2] The team would again field a D-Type at Le Mans in 1959, alongside a newly acquired Tojeiro-Jaguar. Once again, neither car made it to the final flag, the D-Type suffering engine failure after 70 laps, and the Tojeiro a fire after 137.[3] Things went from bad to worse for the team in the 1960 running. The, by now much modified, D-Type was again entered, and lasted until the 168th lap before being forced out with a broken crankshaft. Ecurie Ecosse's second car for this year, a Cooper T49 Monaco, did not even make it to the start line.[4] The 1961 entrants - a Cooper T57 Monaco and an Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite - retired after accidents in their 32nd and 40th laps respectively. [5] 1962 saw Ecurie Ecosse moving on to a Tojeiro EE, but this too failed to finish after gearbox problems. This would be the last time that the original Ecurie Ecosse team would enter a car for the greatest endurance race in the world. Financial troubles and the self-imposed tax exile of founder David Murray had effectively ended the team's competitive era by the mid-1960s.
Other notable people who drove for the team on occasion were: Jimmy Stewart; his younger brother, three-time F1 World Champion Jackie Stewart[6]; fellow F1 driver Innes Ireland; and CanAm legend and eventual Le Mans winner Masten Gregory.
The original team ceased operating in 1971, but the team name was revived in the 1980s by enthusiast and driver Hugh McCaig. In 1986 the team won the C2 class of the World Sportscar Championship; they had been runners-up the previous year. They also entered Vauxhall Cavaliers in the British Touring Car Championship with some success in 1992 and 1993.
[edit] Team car transporter
The Team was accompanied by a 2-axle double-deck car transporter capable of carrying three cars (one inside and two on top) together with a support crew, and with mobile workshop facilities.
The transporter was built by coachbuilders Alexander, of Falkirk, Scotland. Based on a Commer chassis it is powered by a three cylinder horizontally-opposed supercharged 2 stroke diesel engine, originally designed by Dornier as an aircraft engine.
The transporter has been restored and is still in use.
[edit] Model
The Le Mans wins captured the public's imagination and British die-cast model manufacturer Corgi brought out a 1/48th scale model in its Corgi Major series, which proved very popular. A number of sets were produced with differing vehicles; for example Gift Set No 16 issued in 1965 included three racing cars in individual boxes; a #151A Lotus X1, a #152S BRM and a #154 Ferrari. Although out of production, the Corgi sets have remained popular among collectors.
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