Description:

Former works car, with a commendable history, including an eighth-place finish at Le Mans. Powered by Judd’s glorious 4.0 litre V10 and ready for overall victories in Peter Auto, Masters and more.

OVERVIEW 

• Top-level LMP900 prototype powered Judd's sensational, naturally-aspirated, 4.0 litre V10

• Certain contender for overall victories in Peter Auto’s Endurance Racing Legends

• Also eligible for Masters Endurance Legends, HSR, Sebring and Daytona Classics, and more

• Expertly rebuilt and race-prepared in recent years by Pastorelli and, more recently, Equipe Europe, both highly decorated and respected

• Penned by Le Mans-winning designer Paolo Catone of Peugeot 905 and 908 fame

• One of just five C60s built by Courage between 2000 and 2002

• Finished eighth overall at Le Mans in 2005 in the second of its two participations at La Sarthe

• Further podium finishes at Estoril and Brno in the FIA Sportscar Championship

• Offered in the desirable ‘flat-floor’ LMP900 configuration of 2002

• Recently returned to its striking blue ‘La Sarthe’ livery

• Fully race-prepared by Equipe Europe for the 2024 season, including full crack-testing and a rebuild of the Xtrac sequential gearbox

• Accompanied by a useful spares package

BACKGROUND
Ahead of the 2000 season, Courage Compétition introduced the all-new C60 for the top-level Le Mans Prototype category. It represented the fourth clean-sheet design since the French specialist constructor was established in Le Mans nearly two decades earlier.

For two seasons prior to the launch of the new car, the French equipe enjoyed works support from Nissan, and it was for the Japanese marque's twin-turbo V8 that the C60 was initially conceived. Nissan, however, retired from sportscar racing, and the C60 instead made its debut powered by the glorious, naturally-aspirated, Formula 1-derived Judd V10.

Configurable for either the top-tier LMP900 category or for the lighter-weight LMP675 class (and later for both LMP1 and LMP2), the C60 was offered to customer teams with a variety of engines to choose from. Proving immensely popular, the design achieved considerable success over the following years, including so nearly claiming overall victory at Le Mans in both 2005 and 2006 with Henri Pescarolo's eponymous squad.

Penned by Paolo Catone, a talented engineer with a Formula 1 background whose resumé included the Le Mans-winning Peugeot 905 (and later the 908, also a Le Mans victor), the C60 was a modern prototype design with a carbon-fibre composite monocoque chassis and in-board, push-rod actuated springs and dampers. Although a two-seater in theory, the new Courage featured a single roll-over bar on the driver's side, emphasising its F1-derived design philosophies.

Two C60s were built ahead of the 2000 season; one for privateer team SMG and one for the works Courage Compétition team, based in the Technoparc in the centre of Circuit de la Sarthe. With the Nissan engine deal cancelled, the works car was not raced that year, but the SMG team proceeded with their example, propelled by the sonorous four-litre Judd V10 and Hewland's reliable six-speed sequential gearbox.

Qualifying a superb 6th overall for its Le Mans debut, SMG's C60 sadly retired with suspension failure.

For the 2001 season, two C60s were sold to Le Mans legend Henri Pescarolo for use by his own Pescarolo Sport equipe. Powered initially by a Peugeot-derived twin-turbo V6, this pair were later updated to Judd specification and fitted with custom bodywork unique to the Pescarolo cars. In the hands of Henri's world-class outfit, the 'green' C60s achieved great success in the FIA Sports Car Championship and, later, the Le Mans Endurance Series, with highlights including two second-place finishes at Le Mans in 2005 and 2006.

Courage Compétition finally debuted their works car in 2002, now also powered by the Judd V10 engine. Development continued at the factory, where a lighter LMP675 version was developed for the 2003 season. Dubbed the C65, this design was subsequently updated for the new-for-2004 LMP2 rule set. A final evolution came in 2005 when the original C60 was updated to 'Hybrid' (not to be confused with electrical propulsion!) LMP1 specifications, allowing it to continue racing while the new LMP1 cars were phased in. This specification included revised bodywork with a faux second roll hoop, re-shaped floors that ramped up from a central wooden plank to elevated lower edges of the side-pods, and fully enclosed rear wheels in the form of so-called 'legality boxes' that sat adjacent to the diffuser exits.

The transition period from the LMP900/LMP675 regulations to the new LMP1/LMP2 terminated at the end of the 2006 season, finally rendering the decorated C60 obsolete.

Despite the absence of manufacturer backing and associated funding, the Courage C60 and its derivatives were nonetheless among the closest competition for the phenomenon that was Audi's R8. Notably, the C60 design was particularly successful in the FIA Sports Car Championship and the Le Mans Series, while the closely related C65, in its LMP2 guise, became a championship-winning car.

THIS CAR
Chassis C60 N°2 was the second of two examples readied for the 2000 season. Intended for use with the Courage Compétition team, it was earmarked to receive Nissan's 3.5-litre, twin-turbo V8 engine. When that deal fell through, the Yves Courage-lead outfit instead focused on supporting their customer squads, delaying their own works entry until the FIA Sports Car Championship test at Barcelona early in 2002. By then, C60-2 had been updated to C60 JX specification, which referred to the resonant, naturally-aspirated, 4.0-litre Judd V10 that was now fitted in the engine bay. Sportscar star Nicolas Minassian drove the car to an encouraging second fastest lap time in the test.

In the 2002 FIA Sports Car Championship, the light-blue C60 was entered by Courage Compétition for Frenchmen Didier Cottaz and Boris Derichebourg. They managed to finish second on two occasions, at Estoril and Brno. Chassis C60 N°2 was then also entered in the Le Mans test with Swedish Touring Car champion Thed Björk serving as third driver. In a hugely competitive field, they set the 10th fastest time overall. This chassis was not used for the 24 Hours Le Mans that season and would not actually debut at the legendary La Sarthe circuit until two years later in a distinctly different guise.

Retained by Courage after the 2002 season, C60 N°2 served as a test-bed for the manufacturer’s new LMP2 concept. Using the exact same monocoque as the LMP1 car, this new C65 LMP2 model was conceived for privateer customer teams comprising both professional and gentleman drivers and proved both lucrative and successful for Courage.

Fitted with revised bodywork to meet the new LMP2 aero regulations, chassis C60 N°2 was re-engined with the exotic, wide-angle, 3.4-litre JPX V6. Entered into the 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans by Epsilon Sport, the car was 25th fastest in the official test and qualifying. Shared in the race by Gunnar Jeannette, Gavin Pickering and Renaud Derlot, the car retired in the tenth hour with engine problems.

C60-2 then returned to the Le Mans workshop for one final metamorphosis. It was now re-configured as a top-level, Judd V10-powered, LMP1 ‘Hybrid’ for Courage Compétition's two-car works effort at Le Mans in 2005.

Intended to replace the LMP675 and LMP900 categories, the ACO’s new LMP1 concept was gradually phased in from 2004-2006. With a ‘hybrid’ specification, earlier cars could be updated to a configuration that kept them on parity with the new cars built to the slightly restrictive rules. The new regulations were designed to curb the rapid progress of the top category’s lap times, requiring a higher front splitter, elevated side sills, a faux ‘passenger’ roll hoop, and fully enclosed rear wheels.

After conversion to these LMP1 ‘Hybrid’ requirements (the bodywork of which accompanies the car in the spares package of this sale), C60-2 was ready for the 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Appropriately dubbed the C60 Hybrid, chassis C60 N°2 was painted in a striking, two-tone ‘electric’ blue livery and entered by Courage Compétition for Dominik Schwager, Christian Vann and Alexander Frei.

At the official Le Mans test, they were tenth fastest overall. For the race itself, the three drivers lined up in 13th on the grid before scoring a superb eighth-place finish in the overall rankings and sixth in class.

For the following year, the aging C60 design was finally replaced by the brand-new LC70 LMP1 car. Remaining with the team for several more years, C60-2 was eventually sold by Yves Courage to a German collector along with another C60 LMP1. The pair then passed to two Dutch historic racers who had them entirely rebuilt by Pastorelli Classic Cars in Italy before a return to action in 2022 in Peter Auto’s Endurance Racing Legends series, for which the car remains a sure contender for overall victory today.

CERTIFICATION & MILEAGE / HOURS
Technical Passport:

• Issuer: Endurance Racing Legends

• Expiry Date: January 2033

Crack Testing:

• Last Date Completed: 22nd January 2024

Engine Life:

• Current Engine Mileage: please enquire

Gearbox Life:

• Last Rebuilt Date: February 2024

Fuel Cell Certification:

• Expiry Date: August 2027

Seatbelt Certification:

• Expiry Date: TBC

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

Category: LMP900

Chassis: Carbon fibre monocoque

Engine: 3,997cc, 40-valve, DOHC, Judd GV4 dry-sump V10 engine

Gearbox: X-Trac 6-speed manual sequential transmission (with 'push-pull' lever and flat-shift mechanism for seamless upshifts

Front Suspension: Wishbones, coil springs, adjustable push rods, anti-roll bar

Rear Suspension: Wishbones, coil springs, adjustable pickups and push rods, adjustable anti-roll bar

Braking System: Carbon discs and brake pads, no ABS

Weight: In the region of 900kgs

ELIGIBILITY

• Peter Auto's Endurance Racing Legends

• Masters Endurance Legends

• HSR in the United States, including Sebring & Daytona Classics

SPARE PARTS
The car is accompanied by a useful spares package, including bodywork, wishbones, brake discs, pads and bells; two spare sets of wheels, and more. Full details are available on request.

LOCATION & TAXES
Chassis C60-2 is EU-taxes paid, but currently located in the UK on temporary bond. It is available for viewing in Oxfordshire, England.

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