Entered by Écurie Ecosse, the Ecosse C285 No. 78, finished 15th overall and 4th in the Group C2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on May 31–June 1, 1986.
Designed by Ray Mallock for Écurie Ecosse, a storied Scottish privateer team revived in the 1980s by Hugh McCaig, and built for the 1985 season, the C285 was an evolution of the 1984 C284, which had been destroyed in a crash. Key specifications included:
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Chassis: Aluminum honeycomb monocoque with a steel tubular subframe for the engine and gearbox, offering a balance of strength and light weight (around 750–800 kg to meet Group C2 rules).
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Engine: 3.3-litre Ford Cosworth DFL V8, prepared by Swindon Engines, producing ~450–500 bhp. The DFL was a reliable, race-tuned endurance engine suited for the fuel-efficient Group C2 class.
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Gearbox: Hewland five-speed manual.
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Bodywork: Aerodynamic coupe design optimized for high-speed tracks like Le Mans, capable of exceeding 320 km/h (200 mph) on the Hunaudières Straight.
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Tyres: Avon, standard for Écurie Ecosse’s entries.
The car was designed for reliability and speed in the C2 class, which prioritised fuel efficiency and lighter cars compared to the top-tier C1 class dominated by Porsche 956s and 962s.
Écurie Ecosse
Écurie Ecosse, originally founded by David Murray in 1951, was famous for its Jaguar victories at Le Mans in 1956 and 1957. Revived in the 1980s, the team entered Group C racing under Ray Mallock’s engineering leadership through his RML (Ray Mallock Limited) outfit. In 1986, Écurie Ecosse fielded two cars at Le Mans: the C285 No. 78 with the Cosworth DFL and the newer C286 No. 79 with a 3.0-liter Rover V6. The No. 78 was crewed by American pay-drivers, reflecting the team’s strategy to fund its program.
Drivers
The No. 78 Ecosse C285 was driven by:
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Les Delano (USA, age 47): A relatively inexperienced driver making his Le Mans debut. As a pay-driver, he contributed funding to the team.
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John Hotchkis (USA, age 54): A veteran amateur racer with prior Le Mans experience (4th time at Le Mans), known for consistency in endurance events.
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Andy Petery (USA, age 46): Another Le Mans rookie, Petery was a pay-driver supporting Écurie Ecosse’s effort.
1986 Le Mans Race Performance
The 1986 Le Mans race, held on a modified Circuit de la Sarthe with a new Mulsanne kink, saw 50 starters, with Porsche securing nine of the top ten positions. The Ecosse C285 No. 78 started 49th in qualifying, reflecting its lower-powered C2 class status compared to C1 entries like the Porsche 962C and Jaguar XJR-6. Despite a challenging race, it finished 15th overall and 4th in Group C2, completing 292 laps over 3,961.57 km at an average speed of 165.06 km/h (102.56 mph)
