Ligier

The firm entered in the automobile business with a sports car for the road powered by the same Maserati V6 engine as the Citroën SM, the Ligier JS 2. Production of this model ceased after the oil crisis, and the firm reconverted to microcars[?]. Ligier is now owned by Piaggio.

The firm is more known for its Formula 1 team than for its production models. Ligier entered Formula 1 in 1977 with a Matra V12-powered car, and won a Grand Prix with Jacques Lafitte[?] in in 1978. This is generally considered was the first all-French victory in Formula 1 World Championship (To be exact chassis, engine and driver were French the gearbox was English and the tyres American. Alain Prost and Renault had later victories with an all-Renault car Michelin tyres).

After its promising debut in Formula 1 Ligier was considered as one of the top teams around 1980. Despite substantial sponsorship from public French companies mainly SEITA[?] and Française des Jeux[?], deals which Francois Mitterand helped to put in place, the competitiveness of the team began to decline around 1982; the team survived until it was sold to Alain Prost in 1997 and became Prost GP.

External link

• http://www.ligier-automobiles.com/