1973 Ligier JS2 No reserve

1973 Ligier JS2 No reserve - An extremely rare survivor from Ligier's story - Previously owned by its designer, Michel Têtu - High-quality restoration - Probably the finest example in existence - No reserve  Thanks to the history of the car, which was established by the late Marc Sonnery and related by him in several publications, we know that this JS2 left the Ligier workshops in Vichy on 21 February 1973 and was then sold new by the manufacturer in 1975. Finished in red with a black interior, it had the desirable Maserati V6 from the Citroën SM, in its 3-litre version, and the frontal treatment with headlamps under faired-in covers reserved for the first series. The car showed up again several years later in the Grenoble region, when it was offered for sale in a classified ad. Through an amazing combination of circumstances, the ad was noticed by Michel Têtu, who decided to buy the car. He was none other than the designer, who, working at Ligier, led the development of the JS2, among other models. Têtu patiently set about a mechanical restoration of this rare survivor, before selling it a few years later to a M. Fleury in the Yvelines. Fleury used the car sparingly and in 2014, he sold it to Jacques Nicolet, a businessman and high-level amateur racing driver, who was heavily involved in motorsport and had taken over Guy Ligier’s company. Used at events such as Le Mans Classic or on the track at Magny-Cours, the JS2 coupé was sold in 2020 to Thierry Dehaeck, who saw in its engine a link to two of his passions, for Citroën and Maserati. The car then underwent a complete restoration, which was particularly complex due to its backbone chassis construction. Just 82 examples of the JS2 were produced, and it is estimated that 40 cars survive, of which 20 are in running order. Particularly rare, this car is a precious witness to the brave attempt of an independent manufacturer to sell a sports coupé, before embarking on an even more ambitious venture in 1976, to compete in the Formula 1 World Championship. As with all his cars, Dehaeck has built up a substantial history file to accompany this lovely JS2, and this includes not only its FIVA card, but also the first feature on the car, which appeared in January 1974 in the magazine Virage Auto. It was later the subject of several articles written by the late Marc Sonnery in the British magazine Octane, as well as in his reference work, Maserati, the Citroën years 1968-1975.

Estimate:£67,455.04

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