Photo : Guy Ligier et Jacques Nicolet DR / Hugues Laroche

 

With a view to its future evolution and development it was important for Onroak Automotive to associate a make with this project. Jacques Nicolet, the President of Onroak Automotive and OAK Racing and Guy Ligier met a few years back. They got on very well and this is one of the reason why Jacques initiated a rapprochement with the Ligier make. Today this association represents a pooling of their passion, their resources and their technical know-how.

Onroak Automotive’s ambitions, under the responsibility of Olivier Quesnel, are to develop a pyramid in the range of sports prototypes: from the base to the summit, from CN to LM P1 in other words.

☛ CN category
LIGIER JS 53 EVO : Onroak Automotive and Ligier are offering for sale a CN powered by a 2-litre 255 bhp Honda engine aimed mainly at the VdeV Series and the Asian market, an almost virgin territory that represents a promising outlet. The development of the Ligier JS 53 Evo dovetails perfectly with the recent announcement by the ACO of a CN category with a carbon monocoque and crash box before the arrival of the “LM P3” category in 2015. Following OAK Racing’s entry of a Ligier JS 53 Evo in the last two rounds of the 2013 VdeV Series, the development project of the car has been entrusted to Thierry Bouvet, the Onroak Automotive technical director and his design office, run by Nicolas Clémençon.

☛ “LM P3” category
In 2014 once the “LM P3” regulations have been officially published a chassis will be developed and offered for sale in Europe and Asia for 2015.

☛ LM P2 category
Closed LIGIER LM P2
This new model is aimed mainly at the American market where there is a big demand for prototype coupes as this type of car corresponds more closely to their racing philosophy. The Ligier LM P2 coupe will turn a wheel for the first time early in 2014.

Open MORGAN LM P2
The prototype will pursue its brilliant career. The titles won this year by OAK Racing with the Morgan LM P2 are a guarantee of the model’s performance.

☛ LM P1 category
Onroak Automotive is continuing the development of the LM P1 prototype begun mid-2012. This model is the symbol of the blue riband category in endurance. Onroak Automotive can count on the experience of its design office, and the OAK Racing team which, over the last two years, has developed the Morgan LM P2 and driven it to victory all over the world. The LM P2 Drivers’ and Teams’ categories titles in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the Le Mans 24 Hours are the team’s crowning achievements.

Like any car constructor Onroak Automotive also provides a dynamic sales service for its products. A team of professionals will back up its clients through a real bespoke after-sales service, plus assistance and technical backing.

Guy Ligier : “This association with Onroak Automotive is very important for my company, and in particular for the opening up of the Asian market, which is where the future lies. In addition, our rapprochement will give birth to a full range of racing cars. I’ve got every confidence in Jacques Nicolet, with whom I’ve enjoyed a long friendship, to bring the Ligier name back to the summit of endurance. Thus, I’m happy to be able to pursue the development of the make by relying on the experience of his teams.”

Jacques Nicolet : “I met Guy for the first time in 2006; I was the first buyer of the JS 49. I was completely carried away by his passion for motor sport. This meeting led to the birth of a real relationship based on this passion. The Ligier make met with success in Formula 1 and it has scored several top-three finishes in the Le Mans 24 Hours; it has a real magic about it! It’s a symbol in the heart of the fans and I feel very proud to associate myself with this name.”

Olivier Quesnel, Onroak Automotive manager: “Onroak Automotive’s ambition is to develop a range of models destined for endurance and to achieve recognition as a benchmark in this sector. Onroak Automotive is now in a position to offer different types of prototypes for sale: the open Morgan LM P2, the closed Ligier LM P2, the Ligier CN and an LM P1, all of which I’m sure are destined for a great future.”
 

Onroak press release : 06/12/2013