12 replies to this topic

[Team Gunston]

Hi TNFers,

The original Ecurie Ecosse officialy pulled out of racing in March 1972. It reappeared briefly in 1975 when Douglas Shand, of the McDonald Shand F3 and FF team, was given permission to use the Ecurie Ecosse name and badge. At least, this is what one can read in Graham Gauld's wonderful book.

Nevertheless, it seems that Robin Smith entered a Chevron B23 under the Ecurie Ecosse banner in WSC and European 2-litre sportscars championship events between 1973 and 1975, and I wonder which was this Ecurie Ecosse clone. How such a thing was made possible when you know that the use of the name Ecurie Ecosse couldn't been allowed without permission of Lord Elgin ? What were the actual links between the two outfits ? Did the Chevron carry the distinctive (and registered I presume) badge ?

I would be glad if someone here could help me to understand and draw the backgrounds of all that.

Thanks in advance and best regards,

Philippe

[Ian Stewart]

Philippe,

Graham will be back from Australia in a few days time, and I'm sure he will be happy to sort this out for you.

Cheers,

[Team Gunston]

Thank you very much for your contribution Mr Stewart. It is a great honour for me to receive a reply from you.

I must tell you that Ecurie Ecosse has been my constant love for years and you might be interested to know that I am a former French member of Club Ecurie Ecosse, although I was never asked to pay any fee... In the late eighties, Graham used to send me the Ecosse magazine issues for free, along with EE badges to stick up on my cars, and he always (and kindly) replied to the letters I sent him regarding the Ecurie Ecosse cars and history (well, The Nostalgia Forum didn't exist in those times and he has not written the book yet).

I knew that Graham had joined the TNF ranks recently and I would be more than glad if I could have the opportunity to be in connection with him again through this forum, after some 14 'blank' years.

Kindest regards,

Philippe

[rdrcr]

Philippe,

Check your PM's - I may have some insights for you shortly...

[fausto]

I remember Robin Smith car at Monza 1000 (1975), it was painted light blue, with very little signiwriting (don't recall the Ecurie Ecosse shield).
I saw the car the day after the race, Robin testing it and a woman (his wife/fiancee) acting as mechanic.

[Graham Gauld]

Thanks Ian for the stalling note: Both Doug Nye and I are back from Australia and I see Doug is already firing on all cylinders. Reference Robin Smith he never had any link with Ecurie Ecosse in any of its forms and I am not aware of him ever entering as such and certainly he never had any Ecosse livery on his cars.
Philippe thank you for your kind remarks. I have never forgotten when I was very very young just after the war finished I contacted the Indian motor cycle company in the USA and they sent me a copy of their magazine and I was thrilled. Perhaps thoughts of that had crossed my mind when I sent you copies of the Ecosse magazine.

Best wishes
Graham Gauld

[Team Gunston]

Dear Graham,

Thank you very much for your reply, posted as soon as you were back from Australia. I understand that you are pretty busy presently and I don't want to bother you any longer.

Richard (rdcr) has been kind enough to email my question directly to Robin Smith himself and I hope that Robin will be kind enough too to sort out this mystery, which is not the result of a free and personal allegation : try the 'search' button on Google with the keywords 'Robin Smith', 'Ecurie Ecosse' and/or 'Chevron B23' and have a look...

Best regards,

Philippe

[Team Gunston]

Thanks to Richard and Robin Smith himself, the problem is now solved : Robin never entered his car under the name 'Ecurie Ecosse' as one can read here and there, but under the name 'Equipe Ecosse'. Apparently, some motor racing historians have not seen the difference.

By the way, it seems that some people are repeating the same confusion today with 'Scuderia Ecosse'.

Very good job Richard anyway. Many thanks.

Philippe

[Graham Gauld]

I did not think Robin would use the Ecurie Ecosse name. As for Scuderia Ecosse this has nothing to do with Ecurie Ecosse and is the name Stewart Roden chose for his Ferrari 360 Modena team.

GG

[Team Gunston]

By the way, Graham, what are the plans of the true Ecurie Ecosse for the coming season ?

[Graham Gauld]

At the moment there are no specific plans but never take your eye off the ball.

GG

[D-Type]

The confusion is understandable. I have never been able to sort out the difference between Equipe National Belge and Ecurie National Belge.

[David McKinney]

Was there an Ecurie Nationale Belge?
There was an Equipe Belge and an Ecurie Belge at the same time, before ENB was established
Personally, my confusion is in differentiating Ecurie Francorchamps from ENB