FOR SALE: 2004 Courage C65 AER LMP2 race car

£ POA

Perfect for Peter Auto’s Endurance Racing Legends, this ex-works Courage C65 is the most successful of its kind with a class pole-position and podium finish at Le Mans, a class victory at the Sebring 12 Hours, a Le Mans Endurance Series championship title, multiple wins in both the European and American Le Mans Series and three participations in total at Le Mans. Offered in race-ready condition and accompanied by a vast spares package.


HIGHLIGHTS

Works car in 2004 with Courage Compétition, driven by former F1 and sportscar star, Jean-Marc Gounon, in addition to F1 test driver Jonathan Cochet, alongside our very own Sam Hancock and Alexander Frei
2004 Le Mans 24h pole position, LMP2
2004 Le Mans Endurance Series championship-winning car (LMP2) with three wins at Nürburgring, Silverstone, and Spa-Francorchamps.
3x Le Mans 24hr participations, achieving 3rd in class (14th overall) in 2006
2005 Sebring 12h: 1st in LMP2 (12th overall)
4x class wins in the American Le Mans Series with Miracle Motorsport
Most successful of all ten C65s with seven LMP2 class victories in total
Powered by AER’s 2-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-charged P07 engine, producing well over 500+ bhp (with mandatory 43mm restrictor)
Fully recommissioned, crack-tested and offered in race-ready condition with valid fuel tanks, seat-belts and extinguisher
Accompanied by a considerable spares package
Eligible for Peter Auto’s Endurance Racing Legends, Masters Endurance Legends (Europe & USA), the Gulf Historic GP in addition to HSR, Sebring and Daytona Classics in the USA.
Located in the UK, with UK taxes paid (with the possibility to return to the US without attracting further import taxes due to having only recently been exported)

Watch the full track test film where Sam is reunited with the car he drove at Le Mans and to 3x LMES victories and the series title nearly two decades ago.

BACKGROUND TO THE COURAGE C65 MODEL

Yves Courage was a set fixture in sports car racing for three decades, quickly developing from a classic garagiste in the early 1980s to a bona fide constructor under the Courage Compétition banner during the following years. In 2000, the French specialist manufacturer introduced the all-new C60 for the top-level LMP900 category.

Starting with a clean-sheet of paper, the C60 was the work of Paolo Catone, whose subsequent work includes the Le Mans winning Peugeot 908 HDI FAP. The C60 represented a cutting edge design with a carbon-fibre monocoque and push-rod suspension. It was raced by the works supported SMG team with Judd V10 engine, while Pescarolo Sport initially raced their cars with a turbocharged V6 engine.

In 2003, Courage recycled the C60 design to develop the C65 model that was initially fielded in the LMP675 category and from 2004 in the LMP2 class. Powered by the distinct, wide-angle JPX V6 engine, the first C65 scored a LMP675 category victory at the 2003 Le Mans 1000 Kilometres race.

A reshuffle of the prototype regulations prompted the introduction of the LMP2 category in 2004. This was aimed at giving privateers a chance to compete with a prototype in major sports car events. As part of the rule changes, the minimum weight was raised and a ‘passenger’ roll hoop became mandatory for the LMP2 cars. Courage updated the single LMP675 specification C65 built and produced a further nine examples for customers.

After a stunning debut at Le Mans where the new C65 LMP2 model achieved pole position, Paolo Catone’s fundamental design went on to achieve remarkable success with the initial C60/LMP900 version continuing to score outright wins while the newer C65/LMP2 specification car took class victories and championship titles on both sides of the Atlantic.


THIS CAR

Chassis C60 N°9 is the most successful of all Courage C65s. It was constructed in 2003 but not used until the 2004 Le Mans Test. A Courage Competition works car, it was powered by the JPX V6 engine at this, its public debut. Shared by Christophe Tinseau, Jean-Marc Gounon and Jonathan Cochet, it was 17th overall and fastest of all in the LMP2 class.

It was all change for the race itself as chassis N°9 was re-engineered to accommodate AER’s lightweight 2-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-charged power plant while the driver line-up was swapped for former grand-prix driver, Jean-Marc Gounon alongside Alexander Frei and Sam Hancock. With an impressive lap time of 3:41.126, the car was fastest of all LMP2 cars during qualifying by quite a margin.

Sadly, having led the class for several hours, the as-yet undeveloped AER engine failed, prompting an early retirement.

Deciding to retain the Le Mans driver roster for the remainder of the season, Courage Compétition went on to field the AER-engined C65 for the remainder of the European-based Le Mans Endurance Series. Continued domination of the class followed with LMP2 victories scored at the Nürburgring and Silverstone and then, with Cochet temporarily replacing Gounon, Frei and Hancock also won at Spa. Starting that race from eleventh overall, the C65 not only won its class at Spa but also finished fourth overall, a crucial result that sealed the LMP2 championship title while underlining the hugely impressive performance of the car.

Between Silverstone and Spa, chassis No.9 was shipped to the United States where it was raced to an LMP2 class win in the Road America round of the American Le Mans Series by the Miracle Motorsports team with Ian James and James Gue driving. Later in the year, the car was also campaigned by its new owners in the Petit Le Mans and the Laguna Seca 4 Hours but with less success.

Between 2005 and 2006, it continued to be raced by the Miracle Motorsports team, starting with a class victory in the 2005 Sebring 12 Hours. With Jeff Bucknum, Chris McMurry and Ian James behind the wheel, chassis N°9 was also classified 12th overall in the grueling event. Later in the year Bucknum and McMurry also took a class win at Lime Rock and the C65 also won again at Road America.

After another successful effort at Le Mans in 2005, the Miracle Motorsports team brought N°9 back to the La Sarthe circuit for a third and final attempt in 2006. It was entered for John Macaluso, Andy Lally and Ian James, who started the race 18th on the grid. After two retirements, the C65 now persevered to finish a fantastic 14th overall and third in class during what proved to be the car's final contemporary outing.

The most successful of all Courage C65s was then sold by the Miracle Motorsports team to a private collector before subsequently passing to Alan Dyke, who had the car fully recommissioned in the US before selling it to Sam and Ollie Hancock who imported the car to the UK and commissioned further work and full crack-testing by Pursuit Racing, based near Silverstone.

CHASSIS

Like most LMP2 cars of the era, the C65 features a monocoque made largely of carbon-fibre composite and aluminium honeycomb. Originally conceived for the C60 LMP900/LMP1 car, the construction proved more than capable in LMP2 specification.

Suspension is through double wishbones on all four corners with push-rod actuated springs and dampers. Stopping power is provided by ventilated carbon-ceramic disc brakes.

During January 2023, British preparer, Pursuit Racing, conducted a complete crack test inspection of all major components including: all suspension, wishbones, uprights, steering rack, pedal box, etc for which full reports/certificates are available.

The dry weight of the complete car is 772kgs.

ENGINE & GEARBOX

Originally fitted with the French JPX V6 engine for testing only, this C65 was raced throughout its career with the AER ‘P-07’ - a 2-litre, four-cylinder turbo engine, developed by the British firm for the works MG Le Mans effort, and capable of producing well over 500bhp with the mandatory 43-millimetre inlet restrictor fitted.

Last rebuilt by AER in 2007, we are advised by previous owners that the engine in chassis No.9 has since only completed two track days, with total running of approximately 350kms. With rebuilds recommended by AER at 3000km intervals, this leaves an available 2650kms of use before the next rebuild is due. AER engineers have been present during recent workshop run-ups and shakedown testing and confirm that all readings from the engine are normal with no causes for concern.

The AER P07 is mated to a six-speed sequential Hewland TLS gearbox operated manually by a ‘push-pull’ lever in the cockpit which could be upgraded to a semi-automatic paddle shift system as raced by sister chassis in 2005.

During a complete recommissioning by the previous owner, the gearbox was sent to Chase Long for complete inspection and re-assembly, whereupon all parts were reported to be in good condition. Since then the car has been run in the UK in a recent shakedown test on an airfield, whereupon Sam and Ollie Hancock both reported the gearbox to feel very good with no issues.

ELIGIBILITY

Peter Auto Endurance Racing Legends
Masters Endurance Legends (Europe & USA)
HSR Classic Sebring 12 Hour
HSR Classic Daytona 24 Hour

SPARE PARTS

The car is accompanied by a substantial spares package.

Period documentation including set-up sheets and maintenance mechanical guidance.

The car is accompanied by a considerable spares package, including but not limited to:

3 complete sets of wheels (not including those on the car) plus two additional front wheels, all crack tested.
front splitter with crash box
entire front bodywork clam
entire rear body
two side pods, one per side
spare rear floor and spare middle floor
spare rear wing including wing pylons
considerable gearbox internals and spare gearbox casing
multiple wishbones, pushrods, uprights etc
four spare dampers with assorted springs
two spare 'sprint' spec headlights

Click here to download the complete spares list.

SAM SAYS

“I have incredibly fond memories of this car, it was just so light and easy to drive despite the fairly considerable horsepower from the AER. We didn’t know quite how competitive it would be until Jean-Marc recorded that blistering 3m41secs pole position lap in qualifying at Le Mans in 2004 which stunned everyone - we knew from that moment that we had a real rocket on our hands. It took a little while for the AER to become reliable but, once developed, it was flawless and we won just about every race we entered. At tighter circuits it was so good that we even managed to embarrass the odd LMP1 car on occasion too. It’s so exciting to see it again, I just wish I could keep it!”

— Sam Hancock