Ligier History:
The first Ligier produced was the Ligier JS2, created by former racing driver Guy Ligier. Ligier is best known for its Formula One team that operated from 1976 to 1996. Ligier entered Formula One in 1976 with a Matra V12-powered car, and won a Grand Prix with Jacques Laffite in 1977. This is generally considered to have been the first all-French victory in the Formula One World Championship. The deal with Matra ceased in 1979 and Ligier built a Cosworth-powered wing-car the Ligier JS11. The JS11 begin the season winning the first 2 races in the hands of Laffite. However, the JS11 faced serious competition when Williams and Ferrari introduced aerodynamically modified cars. The rest of the season was less successful for the French Marque. The JS11 and its successors made Ligier one of the top teams through the early 1980s. Despite substantial sponsorship from Talbot and public French companies - mainly SEITA and Française des Jeux - the competitiveness of the team began to decline around 1982; but the team survived until 1996. In the mid 1980s, the team benefitted from a "free" Renault turbo engine deal. This made them more competitive, though not a frontrunner, despite significant budgets from companies such as Gitanes, Loto and elf. When Renault left the sport in 1986, Ligier was left without a bona fide engine supplier. An abortive collaboration with Alfa Romeo was followed by a customer engine arrangement with first BMW and then Mugen-Honda.

Ligier Overview:
Ligier is a French automobile maker created by former racing driver and rugby player Guy Ligier. The firm entered the automobile business with the Ligier JS2, a central-engined sports car for the road powered by the same Maserati V6 engine as the Citroen SM. The Maserati V6 engine had a modern design and the JS2 was considered by many as a well designed car with a very good power-to-weight ratio. The final SMs were also produced in the Ligier factory in Vichy. The 1973 energy crisis caused such a decline in the market for the JS2 that production ceased soon after, and the firm changed its focus to microcars, for example, 1984 moped-powered Ligier JS6. Ligier is now owned by Piaggio.

Other Ligier Details:
The death of the competitive Ligier team was not surprising.In fact, in the last years Ligier had little public support and lacked funds. Surprisingly the team was somewhat more competitive during this period, due to the talents of aerodynamicist Frank Dernie, whose skills had developed the Williams of Alan Jones that so regularly beat the Ligiers in the late 1970s. The talent of the young engineer Loic Bigois may have played some role as well. But this also brings some to think that, in previous years, Guy Ligier was more worried about making money than restoring the team competitiveness. Famous for his histrionics and boisterous pitlane explosions, the recalcitrant Guy Ligier added greatly to the character of Formula One events from the mid 1970s onward, if not through the competitiveness of his teams.