 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automobile &Formula One |
| Founded | 1968; 57 years ago (1968) |
| Founder | Guy Ligier |
| Headquarters | , |
| Revenue |  €178.6 million (2022)[1] |
| €9.3 million (2022) | |
| Parent | 21 Investimenti Partners |
| Website | ligier |
Ligier (French pronunciation:[li.ʒje]) is a Frenchautomobile and minibus maker created by former racing driver andrugby playerGuy Ligier (1930–2015), specialized in the manufacturing ofmicrocars.Ligier is best known for its involvement in theFormula 1 World Championship between1976 and1996.
In collaboration withAutomobiles Martini, the Ligier-Martini entity offeredsports prototypes used inendurance orhillclimbing (CN). After the announcement of the creation of the new categoryLMP3 by the ACO, Ligier and Martini associated withOnroak Automotive (the manufacturer department ofOAK Racing) to offer a full range of prototypes (CN,LMP3,LMP1 andLMP2).
The firm entered the automobile business with theLigier JS2, a mid-enginedsports car for the road initially powered by a Ford V6 and from 1971 by the same Maserati V6 engine as theCitroën SM. The JS2 was considered by many as a well-designed car with a very goodpower-to-weight ratio.[citation needed] The Ligier motorcars were all designated with the prefix "JS" in honour of Ligier's great friend and cohortJo Schlesser who was killed in the1968 French Grand Prix while driving forHonda. The final SMs were also produced in the Ligier factory inVichy.[2] The1973 energy crisis caused such a decline in the market for the JS2 that production ceased soon after, and the firm changed its focus tomicrocars, beginning with the 1980moped-poweredLigier JS4.
One of the world's first experimental prototypes ofautomatic parallel parking was developed on a Ligierelectric car atINRIA in the mid-1990s.[3]
In September 2008, Ligier Automobiles completed its acquisition of Beneteau Group'sMicrocar division, with financing provided by21 Investimenti Partners. Phillipe Ligier, son of the company's founder, remains as CEO. The Ligier and Microcar brands are to retain their separate identities and manufacturing facilities. The merger creates Europe's second largest microcar manufacturer (after Daimler'sSmart unit, if one considers that a microcar), and largest manufacturer of drivers license-exempt vehicles.
In 2011, Ligier launched the Duè brand, intended to market lightweight quadricycles at a lower price with a low-cost philosophy. The first model was the Dué First, which was essentially a revised version of the previous Microcar MC1 with simplified design and features to lower the price.[4] After just two years, the Duè brand was integrated into theMicrocar range, another brand of the Ligier Group, and the Microcar Dué, a specific and new model, was launched.[5]
In August 2018, Ligier teased a new road-going sports car to celebrate their 50th anniversary. The car will be built in collaboration with Onroak. It will feature a 3.7 liter V6 producing approximately 330 hp, and a 6-speed manual transmission. It will be homologated to FIA E II-SH regulation. More details are to be released in September 2018, and it is expected to go on sale in November 2018 at a price of €89,000.[6]
In 2023, Ligier launches its first electric quadricycle, Mily.[7]
In January 2025, Ligier announced the closure of the Montaigu-Vendée factory, concentrating all production at the Abrest (historic headquarters) plant.[8]
The Ligier model line currently consists of the JS50 line of mini cars, the X-Pro line of small commercial vehicles, and the Be Up/Be Two line of open-air, roadster-type vehicles. The company also produces a line of quad bikes and off-road utility vehicles sold as the Be Pro, Be Four, and Be Truck.
The JS50, Ixo, Xtoo, Nova or Ambra are about two and a half meters long and have two seats. They are front-engined. Power units include two 2-cylinder four-stroke diesels of about half a liter displacement and feature a CVT for power transfer.
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The Ligier vehicle that's gained the most attention, isEZ10EasyMile, a self-driving shuttle bus for light city transit. EasyMile SAS develops and markets the autonomous vehicles, and is a joint venture formed in June 2014 by Ligier and Robosoft Technology PTE Ltd (France).[9][10][11] The joint venture is the result of the CityMobil2 project co-funded by the European Union'sSeventh Framework Programme for research and technological development (FP7).[10][11]
One EZ10 minibus can take between 8–10 passengers,[9][12] and its speed is up to 40 km/h (25 mph). In 2017, EZ-10 was introduced on the grounds of National Taiwan University in Taipei, and inTallinn,Estonia.
In conjunction with Estonia's presidency of the EU Council, the minibus was presented in Tallinn on 14 July 2017 by EasyMile, and the tech companies in Estonia that co-financed the month-and-a-half-long project to bring the shuttle bus to the country. The buses will serve one line, including a stretch of tram line under reconstruction, and will run in Tallinn until the end of August.[13][12]
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Ligier is best known for itsFormula One team,Équipe Ligier, that operated from1976 to1996. Ligier entered Formula One in1976 with aMatraV12-powered car, winning its first Grand Prix withJacques Laffite in1977.
Ligier also competed in the24 Hours of Le Mans from1970 to1975.
![Experimental prototype capable of self-parking[3]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aLigier.png)
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Véhicule autonome électrique pouvant transporter jusqu'à 10 personnes (6 places assises et 4 places debout ou un fauteuil roulant), ...
Adriano Alessandrini: "Partly thanks to CityMobil2, two French companies – Ligier Group and Robosoft Technology – created the EasyMile joint venture..."
The buses have a capacity of eight passengers.
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