Ecurie Cars

The Ecurie Ecosse LM69 is a sports car manufactured by Scottish company Ecurie Cars. The car is meant to be both a tribute to the Jaguar XJ13 and a race car built in compliance with the 1969 Le Mans regulations.

The LM69 was developed as a homage to the 1966 Jaguar XJ13 race car which was intended to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, changes in the homologation rules made the XJ13 suddenly obsolete. Jaguar halted the project and the only built XJ13, not being able to enter any race, was put in storage.

The LM69 was never intended to be an exact replica of the XJ13; rather, Ecurie Cars tried to imagine what the XJ13 might have looked like if Jaguar continued its development until 1969. This explains the marked retro design, as well as the absence of post-1960s technology: the LM69 would have complied with any 1969 Le Mans regulation, thus virtually allowing Scottish racing team Ecurie Ecosse to participate in the 1969 event (hence its name) and racing in the same league of the Ford GT40 and Porsche 917.

The car was designed by Howard Guy and his team at Design Q. Unlike the heavier all-aluminum XJ13, the LM69's body is made of both aluminum and composite materials, covering a purpose-built chassis. The LM69 also sports a closed cockpit, more refined aerodynamics, and wider tires. The mid-mounted engine lies under a transparent deck lid.