Ligier Automotive
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive, Motorsport |
| Predecessor | Onroak Automotive |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founder | Jacques Nicolet |
| Fate | Renamed from Onroak Automotive on 31 December 2018 |
| Headquarters | France , France |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Jacques Nicolet (Founder) |
| Products | Race cars, sports prototype vehicles |
| Owner | Everspeed Group |
| Parent | Everspeed Group |
Ligier Automotive, previously known as Onroak Automotive, is a French enterprise specializing in the design, production, and distribution of race cars, with a focus on sports prototype vehicles for global competitions. Established in 2012 by Jacques Nicolet, the company was formed by separating the design, manufacturing, and sales sectors from his OAK Racing outfit. Onroak collaborated with Philippe Ligier, son of former Formula One driver Guy Ligier, to create vehicles under the Ligier name. On 31 December 2018, Onroak Automotive was renamed Ligier Automotive amid a restructuring of Everspeed's automotive holdings.
History
The origins of Onroak trace back to December 2009 when OAK Racing acquired the manufacturing division of Pescarolo Sport, continuing the development of the Pescarolo 01 Le Mans Prototype. Formerly known as Saulnier Racing, OAK had been a Pescarolo client since 2008 in the European Le Mans Series. Following Pescarolo's receivership, OAK became the sole developer and marketed cars under the OAK-Pescarolo badge.
With the introduction of new Le Mans Prototype regulations in 2012 necessitating fresh designs, Onroak was established to create a new chassis inspired by Pescarolo's model and to commercialize it to racing teams. The company partnered with Morgan Motor Company to brand its LMP2 version as the Morgan LMP2, while retaining the LMP1 model under the OAK-Pescarolo name.
In 2013, Onroak joined forces with Guy Ligier to update and sell the Ligier JS 53 Group CN prototype and subsequently designed the closed-cockpit JS 55 in 2014. This collaboration extended to granting naming rights for the LMP2 vehicle entirely designed by Onroak in 2014, the Ligier JS P2, followed by the JS P3 introduced in 2015 for the LMP3 category.
In October 2016, Onroak expanded by acquiring the motorsport division of American firm Crawford Composites.
Chosen as one of four official LMP2 manufacturers under the 2017 regulations, Ligier's JS P217 competed across the European Le Mans Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship, and FIA World Endurance Championship. Its chassis also served as the foundation for the Nissan Onroak DPi in IMSA’s DPi category. Ligier secured the contract for supplying vehicles under the 2028 LMP2 rules.
Tork Engineering
In September 2017, Onroak Automotive took over Tork Engineering, a French firm with significant expertise in race car construction. Tork was responsible for developing the closed-cockpit Bioracing Series sportscar and had been commissioned in 2007 by Mitjet Series to produce the Yamaha-powered Mitjet 1300. In 2012, a Renault-powered 2.0L variant was launched featuring four body designs resembling those of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Bugatti. By 2015, Tork engineered a tube-frame race car for the revived French Supertouring Championship, equipped with a 3.5L Nissan V6 engine.
Models
| Year | Car | Picture | Engine | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Ligier JS47 | Various 2.0L I4 | Formula 3 | |
| 2007 | Mitjet 1300 | Yamaha 1.3L I4 | Mitjet 1300 | |
| 2008 | Tork BRS 4.0 | Sodemo-Nissan 4.0L V6 | Bioracing Series | |
| 2009 | Dacia Duster Glace | Nissan VQ30 3.0L V6 | Trophee Andros Silhouette | |
| 2010 | OAK-Pescarolo 01 | Judd DB 3.4L V8 | Le Mans Prototype 2 | |
| 2011 | Dacia Lodgy Glace | Sodemo 3.0L V6 | Trophee Andros Silhouette | |
| 2011 | Dacia Duster No Limit | Sodemo-Nissan VR38DETT 3.6L V6 | PPIHC Unlimited | |
| 2012 | Morgan LMP2 | Judd HK 3.6L V8 | Le Mans Prototype 2 | |
| Nissan VK45DE 4.5L V8 | ||||
| 2012 | Mitjet 2.0L | Renault 2.0L I4 | Mitjet 2.0L | |
| 2013 | Mini Countryman | Sodemo-Nissan VR38DETT 3.6L V6 | PPIHC Unlimited | |
| 2013 | Ligier JS53 Evo | Honda K20A 2.0L I4 | Group CN | |
| 2014 | Ligier JS55 | Honda K20A 2.0L I4 | Group CN | |
| 2014 | Ligier JS P2 | Nissan VK45DE 4.5L V8 | Le Mans Prototype 2 | |
| Judd HK 3.6L V8 | ||||
| 2015 | Morgan LMP2 Evo | Honda HR28TT 2.8L V6 | Le Mans Prototype 2 | |
| Nissan VK45DE 4.5L V8 | ||||
| 2015 | Ligier JS P3 | Nissan VK50VE 5.0L V8 | Le Mans Prototype 3 | |
| 2015 | Mitjet Offroad | Chevrolet LS3 6.2L V8 | Group T1 | |
| 2015 | Mitjet V6 ST | Nissan 3.5L V6 | French Supertouring Championship | |
| 2016 | Crawford F4-16 | Honda Performance Development K20 C2 | Formula 4 | |
rowspan= Ligier JS P217 | rowspan= United-Autosports-Le-Mans-2017-82 (35340856665) (2).jpg | Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 | rowspan= Le Mans Prototype#LMP22 Le Mans Prototype | - | NISSAN VR38DETT 3.8 L V6 | Daytona Prototype International | - | rowspan= Ligier JS F318 | Honda K20C1 I42 L | Formula Regional | - | Ligier JS F3-S5000 | Ford Coyote 5 L V8 | Australian S5000 Championship | - | Ligier JS P419 | Ford V63.7 L | Group E (FIA) | - | Ligier JS2 R19 | Ford V63.7 L | Ligier European Series | - | Ligier JS P32020 | Nissan VK56DE5.6 L V8| Le Mans Prototype#LMP320 Le Mans Prototype| - | Lamborghini SC632024| Lamborghini V83.8 L| Le Mans Daytona h| -| Ligier JS F422024| Ligier Storm1.65 L V4| Formula Four| -| Ligier JS P3252025| Toyota Twin-turbo3.5 L V6| Le Mans Prototype#LMP325 Le Mans Prototype| |