Code No: 20021

Price: $195.00

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Author: Dymock, Eric

Published: 2007

Binding: Hardcover

No. Pages: 272

Dimensions: 23 x 30

Illustrations: Over 500 illustrations - many never before seen

Description: ECURIE ECOSSE is a name that resonates through motor racing history, and over 50 years since its humble initial sortie on a half-forgotten, draughty Scottish airfield circuit, it is recognised worldwide as one of the most successful private sports car racing teams ever. Its origins lie in the enthusiasm of a Scotsman called David Murray, a keen and moderately gifted amateur driver who, in the early 1950s, had a dream of creating a Scottish motor racing team. Formula One was his ultimate objective but as a start, in 1952 a team was organised around keen customers of Merchiston Motors, the Edinburgh business run by Murray and his partner, former Brooklands MG tuner W.E. 'Wilkie' Wilkinson. This deeply-researched book explores Wilkie's pre-war background with the Bellevue Garage and Brooklands, and Murray's early single-seater career with Reg Parnell, before going on to explain how the team came into being. Ecurie Ecosse's first drivers all owned Jaguar XK 120s, and so was born an association with the Coventry marque which would ultimately have consequences far beyond the dreams of even the ambitious Murray. The three XKs, painted in the distinctive Flag Metallic Blue that became the team's hallmark, ran under the alliterative name Ecurie Ecosse - fashionably French and directly translatable as Team Scotland. With sponsorship from Esso and covert backing from shipping magnate Major E. G. Thomson, a shadowy figure in the Ecurie Ecosse story, but whose support was vital - the immaculately-prepared XK 120s were replaced in 1953 by Jaguar C-types. The team's success then persuaded Jaguar to allow Ecurie Ecosse to purchase the three 'lightweight' works C-types, which had won that year's Le Mans. Further good results led Murray to negotiate the purchase of D-type Jaguars. This, of course, led to those historic victories at Le Mans - in 1956 when the works Jaguars failed, and in 1957 after Ecurie Ecosse had taken over the works 'longnose' D-types on the withdrawal of the factory team. These years also included the extraordinary 'Race of Two Worlds', with the D-types (and in 1958 a Lister-Jaguar) pitted against Indianapolis cars on the banked track at Monza, Italy - an episode the book deals with in depth. Then the major part of a chapter is devoted to the amazing Ecurie Ecosse transporter, specially built for the team in 1960. This features unique period photographs of the transporter, including in colour. Rare period colour photographs of Ecurie Ecosse at Le Mans is also included in the book. It is an essential part of the Ecurie Ecosse story that the triumphs of Le Mans in the late 1950s would never be repeated - even though the original team continued until 1965 and counted such brilliant young talent as Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart amongst its drivers. The book explores the reasons, both probable and possible, not only for the team's rise to prominence, but also its inexorable decline -- through the words of drivers and team members who were there, and through the characters of the leading players in the story, the ebullient fixer David Murray and his partner Wilkie Wilkinson. Ecurie Ecosse, sometimes controversial, is as much about people as it is about racing cars.