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LIGIER

'Ligier Automobiles' logo.

'Ligier' is a French automobile maker created by former racing driver and rugby player Guy Ligier.
The firm entered the automobile business with the Ligier JS2,[1] a central-engined sports car for the road powered by the same Maserati V6 engine as the Citroën SM. The Maserati V6 engine had a modern design and the JS2 was considered by many as a well designed car with a very good power-to-weight ratio. The final SMs were also produced in the Ligier factory in Vichy. The 1973 energy crisis caused such a decline in the market for the JS2 that production ceased soon after, and the firm changed its focus to microcars, for example, 1984 moped-powered Ligier JS6. Ligier is now owned by Piaggio.

Contents
Ligier F1
Complete World Championship Formula One Results
Notes
Ligier JS49 (2005)
External link

Ligier F1


'Ligier JS5', Ligier's first F1 car.
Designed by Gerard Ducarouge.

Ligier is best known for its Formula One team that operated from to . Ligier entered Formula One in 1976 with a Matra V12-powered car, and won a Grand Prix with Jacques Laffite in 1977. This is generally considered to have been the first all-French victory in the Formula One World Championship.[2]
The deal with Matra ceased in 1979 and Ligier built a Cosworth-powered wing-car the Ligier JS11. The JS11 begin the season winning the first 2 races in the hands of Laffite. However, the JS11 faced serious competition when Williams and Ferrari introduced aerodynamically modified cars. The rest of the season was less successful for the French Marque.
The JS11 and its successors made Ligier one of the top teams through the early 1980s. Despite substantial sponsorship from Talbot and public French companies - mainly SEITA and Française des Jeux (deals which François Mitterrand helped to put in place) - the competitiveness of the team began to decline around 1982; but the team survived until 1996. In the mid 1980s, the team benefitted from a "free" Renault turbo engine deal. This made them more competitive, though not a frontrunner, despite significant budgets from companies such as Gitanes, Loto and elf. When Renault left the sport in 1986, Ligier was left without a bona fide engine supplier. An abortive collaboration with Alfa Romeo was followed by a customer engine arrangement with first BMW and then Mugen-Honda.
Ligier's last F1 car, the JS43, on display. Driven by Olivier Panis and Pedro Diniz, it provided Panis' only F1 victory and Ligier's last, at the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix.

In the last years Ligier had little public support and lacked funds. Surprisingly the team was somewhat more competitive during this period, perhaps due to the talents of aerodynamicist Frank Dernie, whose skills had developed the Williams of Alan Jones that so regularly beat the Ligiers in the late 1970s.
The talent of the young engineer Loïc Bigois may have played some role as well. But this also brings some to think that, in previous years, Guy Ligier was more worried about making money than restoring the team competitiveness. Famous for his histrionics and boisterous pitlane explosions, the recalcitrant Guy Ligier added greatly to the character of Formula One events from the mid 1970s onward, if not through the competitiveness of his teams. As one F1 commentator famously said, "You always had the feeling that even when they were winning they didn't know why..."
In 1996 the Mugen Honda-powered JS43 car turned out to be a well balanced car, if not on par with the Williams entries. It became a surprise winner as well, with the team taking the chequered flag with Olivier Panis at the Monaco Grand Prix, albeit in a race of heavy attrition. While the victory was a famous moment for French Motorsport (the first "all-French" victory at Monaco since René Dreyfus in Bugatti in 1930), it must be said it came very much against the run of play in a race in which only four cars finished the full distance.
The team was sold to Alain Prost soon after and became Prost Grand Prix in . Prost GP, despite substantial financial backing by large private French companies failed to make the team competitive and went bankrupt in .
The team traditionally wore numbers 25 and 26.
Complete World Championship Formula One Results

() (results in bold indicate 'pole position')

Year Chassis Engine(s) Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Points WCC
Ligier JS5 Matra V12 BRA RSA USW ESP BEL MON SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN USA JPN'20''5th'
Jacques Laffite Ret Ret 4 12 3 12 4 14 Ret Ret 2 Ret '3' Ret Ret 7
Ligier JS7 Matra V12 ARG BRA RSA USW ESP MON BEL SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA USA CAN JPN'18''8th'
Jacques Laffite NC Ret Ret 9 7 7 Ret 1 8 6 Ret Ret 2 8 7 Ret 5
Jean-Pierre Jarier Ret
Ligier JS7
Ligier JS9		 Matra V12 ARG BRA RSA USW MON BEL ESP SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA USA CAN'19''6th'
Jacques Laffite 16 9 5 5 Ret 5 3 7 7 10 3 5 8 4 11 Ret
Ligier JS11 Ford V8 ARG BRA RSA USW ESP BEL MON FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN USA'61''3rd'
Patrick Depailler 4 2 Ret 5 1 Ret 5 Inj Inj Inj Inj Inj Inj Inj Inj
Jacky Ickx Ret 6 Ret Ret 5 Ret Ret Ret
Jacques Laffite '1' '1' Ret Ret 'Ret' '2' Ret 8 Ret 3 3 3 Ret Ret Ret
Ligier JS11/15 Ford V8 ARG BRA RSA USW BEL MON FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN USA'66''2nd'
Didier Pironi Ret 4 3 6 1 'Ret' 2 'Ret' Ret Ret Ret 6 3 3
Jacques Laffite Ret Ret 2 Ret 11 2 '3' Ret 1 4 3 9 8 5
Ligier JS17 Matra V12 USW BRA ARG SMR BEL MON ESP FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN LVS'44''4th'
Jean-Pierre Jarier Ret 7
Jean-Pierre Jabouille Inj Inj DNQ NC Ret DNQ Ret
Patrick Tambay Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret
Jacques Laffite Ret 6 Ret Ret 2 3 '2' Ret 3 3 1 Ret Ret 1 6
Ligier JS17
Ligier JS17B
Ligier JS19		 Matra V12 RSA BRA USW SMR BEL MON USE CAN NED GBR FRA GER AUT SUI ITA LVS'20''8th'
Eddie Cheever Ret Ret Ret WD 3 Ret 2 10 DNQ Ret 16 Ret Ret Ret 6 3
Jacques Laffite Ret Ret Ret WD 9 Ret 6 Ret Ret Ret 14 Ret 3 Ret Ret Ret
Ligier JS21 Ford V8 BRA USW FRA SMR MON BEL USE CAN GBR GER AUT NED ITA EUR RSA'0''NC'
Jean-Pierre Jarier Ret Ret 9 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 10 8 7 Ret 9 Ret 10
Raul Boesel Ret 7 Ret 9 Ret 13 10 Ret Ret Ret DNQ 10 DNQ 15 NC
Ligier JS23 Renault V6 (t/c) BRA RSA BEL SMR FRA MON CAN USE USA GBR GER AUT NED ITA EUR POR'3''10th'
François Hesnault Ret 10 Ret Ret DNS Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 8 8 7 Ret 10 Ret
Andrea de Cesaris Ret 5 Ret 6 10 Ret Ret Ret Ret 10 7 Ret Ret Ret 7 12
Ligier JS25 Renault V6 (t/c) BRA POR SMR MON CAN USE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA BEL EUR RSA AUS'23''6th'
Andrea de Cesaris Ret Ret Ret 4 14 10 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret
Philippe Streiff 10 9 8 WD 3
Jacques Laffite 6 Ret Ret 6 8 12 Ret 3 3 Ret Ret Ret 11 Ret WD 2
Ligier JS27 Renault V6 (t/c) BRA ESP SMR MON BEL CAN USE FRA GBR GER HUN AUT ITA POR MEX AUS'29''5th'
René Arnoux 4 Ret Ret 5 Ret 6 Ret 5 4 4 Ret 10 Ret 7 15 7
Jacques Laffite 3 Ret Ret 6 5 7 2 6 Ret Inj Inj Inj Inj Inj Inj Inj
Philippe Alliot Ret 9 Ret Ret Ret 6 8
Ligier JS29B
Ligier JS29C		 Megatron 4 in-line (t/c) BRA SMR BEL MON USE FRA GBR GER HUN AUT ITA POR ESP MEX JPN AUS'1''11th'
René Arnoux DNS 6 11 10 Ret Ret Ret Ret 10 10 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret
Piercarlo Ghinzani Ret 7 12 Ret Ret EX Ret 12 8 8 Ret Ret Ret 13 Ret
Ligier JS31 Judd V8 BRA SMR MON MEX CAN USE FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR ESP JPN AUS'0''NC'
René Arnoux Ret DNQ Ret Ret Ret Ret DNQ 18 17 Ret Ret 13 10 Ret 17 Ret
Stefan Johansson 9 DNQ Ret 10 Ret Ret DNQ DNQ DNQ Ret 11 DNQ Ret Ret DNQ 9
Ligier JS33 Ford V8 BRA SMR MON MEX USA CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR ESP JPN AUS'3''13th'
René Arnoux DNQ DNQ 12 14 DNQ 5 Ret DNQ 11 DNQ Ret 9 13 DNQ DNQ Ret
Olivier Grouillard 9 DSQ Ret 8 DNQ DNQ 6 7 Ret DNQ 13 Ret DNQ Ret Ret Ret
Ligier JS33B Ford V8 USA BRA SMR MON CAN MEX FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR ESP JPN AUS'0''NC'
Nicola Larini Ret 11 10 Ret Ret 16 14 10 10 11 14 11 10 7 7 10
Philippe Alliot EX 12 9 Ret Ret 18 9 13 DSQ 14 DNQ 13 Ret Ret 10 11
Ligier JS35
Ligier JS35B		 Lamborghini V12 USA BRA SMR MON CAN MEX FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR ESP JPN AUS'0''NC'
Thierry Boutsen Ret Ret 7 7 Ret 8 12 Ret 9 17 11 Ret 16 Ret 9 Ret
Érik Comas DNQ Ret 10 10 8 DNQ 11 DNQ Ret 10 Ret 11 11 Ret Ret 18
Ligier JS37 Renault V10 RSA MEX BRA ESP SMR MON CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR JPN AUS'6''7th'
Thierry Boutsen Ret 10 Ret Ret Ret 12 10 Ret 10 7 Ret Ret Ret 8 Ret 5
Érik Comas 7 9 Ret Ret 9 10 6 5 8 6 Ret Inj Ret Ret Ret Ret
Ligier JS39 Renault V10 RSA BRA EUR SMR ESP MON CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR JPN AUS'23''5th'
Martin Brundle Ret Ret Ret 3 Ret 6 5 5 14 8 5 7 Ret 6 9 6
Mark Blundell 3 5 Ret Ret 7 Ret Ret Ret 7 3 7 11 Ret Ret 7 9
Ligier JS39B Renault V10 BRA PAC SMR MON ESP CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR EUR JPN AUS'13''6th'
Éric Bernard Ret 10 12 Ret 8 13 Ret 13 3 10 10 7 10
Johnny Herbert 8
Franck Lagorce Ret 11
Olivier Panis 11 9 11 9 7 12 Ret 12 2 6 7 10 DSQ 9 11 5
Ligier JS41 Mugen Honda V10 BRA ARG SMR ESP MON CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR EUR PAC JPN AUS'24''5th'
Martin Brundle 9 Ret 10 4 Ret Ret 3 Ret 8 7 Ret
Aguri Suzuki 8 Ret 11 6 Ret DNS
Olivier Panis Ret 7 9 6 Ret 4 8 4 Ret 6 9 Ret Ret Ret 8 5 2
Ligier JS43 Mugen Honda V10 AUS BRA ARG EUR SMR MON ESP CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR JPN'15''6th'
Olivier Panis 7 6 8 Ret Ret 1 Ret Ret 7 Ret 7 5 Ret Ret 10 7
Pedro Diniz 10 8 Ret 10 7 Ret 6 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 6 Ret Ret


Notes


1. The Ligier motorcars were all designated with the prefix "JS" in honour of Ligier's great friend and cohort, Jo Schlesser, who was killed in the 1968 French Grand Prix while driving for Honda.
2. Chassis, engine and driver were French. The gearbox was British (Hewland) and the tyres American (Goodyear). Alain Prost and Renault had later victories with an all-Renault car and Michelin tyres.


Ligier JS49 (2005)


In 2005, Ligier returned to sports cars with a "gentlemen driver" car, the JS49, a sport prototype [1].

External link



★ http://www.ligier-automobiles.com/

★ http://bunnik.club.fr/0lig0001.htm (Pictures of Microcars made by Ligier. French)

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