Ligier JS1 and JS2, initially yours!

Jo Schlesser and Guy Ligier had dreamed of it: a French GT of modern design, efficient, versatile and not too expensive. After the disappearance of the first, the second set to work to honor the memory of his friend.

Published on 27/08/2022 à 12:00

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Le Mans 1975: victory did not come far for the JS2 of Chasseuil-Lafosse © DPPI

Devastated by the loss of Jo Schlesser at the 1968 French GP, Guy Ligier gave up competition, before recovering. “ We already had this plan to build a car, when we stopped driving. Racing as a driver, those were the best moments. Being a builder was more complicated. We started from a drawing board, the specifications being to create a light and inexpensive car. » This will be built in Abrest (Allier), at the gates of Vichy, and it will bear the initials of the missing friend. CD defector, Michel Têtu is responsible for designing a versatile GT (road, circuit and rally), in the spirit of Porsche 911. The central beam accommodates a bodywork by Frua and, for lack of a French engine available, a 4-cylinder Ford-Cosworth FVA 1600 from F2 will power the JS1. Presented at the Paris Motor Show, it debuted at the Critérium des Cévennes 1969, where the crew