Ecurie 69 · The 1969 Le Mans V12, reborn
The car Jaguar never raced. Finished as a 1969 Le Mans car.
Built to the 1969 rulebook, the Ecurie 69 imagines what the Jaguar XJ13 might have become had its development continued — a closed cockpit, a howling quad-cam tera V12, and 25 hand-built cars inspired by the endurance-racing era.
Revived by Building The Legend · Full reveal early 2027
- 25
- Cars only
- 700+
- Horsepower (top spec)
- 203
- mph top speed
- 1969
- Regulation era
Rear three-quarter view.
© Building The Legend.
Motor1
"A new old supercar inspired by the XJ13"
Road & Track
"The V-12 Jaguar race car of your dreams"
evo
"Revealed in homage to the Jaguar XJ13"
Goodwood
"A glorious tribute to the Jaguar XJ13"
The race that never happened
Jaguar built the XJ13 for Le Mans. Then history shelved it.
In the early 1960s Jaguar created the XJ13 — a mid-engined, quad-cam V12 prototype of stunning proportions, designed to return the marque to Le Mans. Before it could race, a change in homologation rules made it obsolete overnight. The project was shelved, and the single XJ13 never turned a wheel in anger.
The Ecurie 69 does not copy that car. It answers a single question: what might the XJ13 have become if its development had continued to 1969 — lining up on the grid against the Ford GT40 and Porsche 917?
The Ecurie 69 is a recreation and tribute, built in a historical context. It is not approved by, or affiliated with, Jaguar.
The programme
Built by Building The Legend.
Led by Neville Swales, Building The Legend is developing Ecurie 69 around the tera quad-cam V12, a near-period reproduction of the original Jaguar XJ13 power unit.
Specification
Engineered to the 1969 rulebook.
The Ecurie 69 carries no post-1960s technology it doesn't need. A closed cockpit, a purpose-built chassis, a transparent deck lid over a mid-mounted quad-cam V12 — and a five-speed manual.
- Body
- Aluminium + composite, purpose-built chassis
- Engine
- tera quad-cam V12 — 5.0, 6.1, 6.8 or 7.5 L
- Induction
- Period-correct; modern electronic optional
- Gearbox
- 5-speed manual
- Power
- 350–700+ hp (5.0–7.5 L)
- 0–60 mph
- ~3.2 s
- Top speed
- 203 mph
- Production
- 25 cars (1969 FIA minimum)
- Road use
- Road-legal (UK)
Reference pricing at the 2020 launch was from £875,000. Revival pricing is on application.
The tera quad-cam V12, visible through the transparent deck lid. © Building The Legend.
Rear three-quarter view of Ecurie 69.
The revival
One concept built. Now, 25 more.
Inspired by a single concept car shown to the world at the NEC Classic Motor Show 2019 and the Hampton Court Palace Concours d'Elegance 2020 — then the project paused before production. Building The Legend is now reviving it, with no implied connection with renowned racing team Ecurie Ecosse, with the full reveal planned for early 2027.
Register your interest
Join the list below. You'll receive the teaser story first and priority access at the reveal.
Spec your car
Choose your tera V12 — 5.0, 6.1, 6.8 or 7.5 litres — and period or modern induction, matched to your car.
Hand-built in England
Each of the 25 cars is built to order, by hand, in England — one of only 25 ever made.
Questions
Before you register.
Is the Ecurie 69 an exact Jaguar XJ13 replica?
No. It reimagines what the XJ13 might have become had Jaguar continued development to 1969 — a closed cockpit, refined aerodynamics and wider tyres, built to comply with the 1969 Le Mans regulations.
How many will be built?
25 — exactly the minimum required under the 1969 FIA homologation rules.
Which engine powers it?
The tera quad-cam V12 — a near-period reproduction of the original Jaguar XJ13 power unit — in 5.0, 6.1, 6.8 or 7.5 litres, with period induction as standard and modern electronic injection optional.
Is it road-legal?
Yes — road-legal at least in the United Kingdom, despite its racing intent.
What does it cost?
Revival pricing is on application. As a reference point, the car was listed from £875,000 at its 2020 launch.
When will it be revealed?
The full reveal is planned for early 2027, preceded by teasers. Register below and you'll hear it first.
Register interest
Be first to the Ecurie 69 reveal.
Tell us you're interested and we'll send the teaser story first, with priority access when the programme opens in early 2027.
- No obligation — a place on the list, not a commitment
- Priority access at the early-2027 reveal
- One of only 25 cars, hand-built in England