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1997 Ascari Ecosse Is a Very Tempting, Obscure Treat

A gem of a supercar that also happens to be very rare and quite obscure crossed the auction block this past weekend in France at RM Sotheby’s Paris event. It failed to sell, so this is a chance for a do-over for whoever is on the market for a hard-to-come-by collectible.
One of 19 Ascari Ecosse supercars produced is for sale out of The Netherlands 14 photos
Photo: RM Sotheby's/Dirk de Jager
One of 19 Ascari Ecosse supercars produced is for sale out of The NetherlandsOne of 19 Ascari Ecosse supercars produced is for sale out of The NetherlandsOne of 19 Ascari Ecosse supercars produced is for sale out of The NetherlandsOne of 19 Ascari Ecosse supercars produced is for sale out of The NetherlandsOne of 19 Ascari Ecosse supercars produced is for sale out of The NetherlandsOne of 19 Ascari Ecosse supercars produced is for sale out of The NetherlandsOne of 19 Ascari Ecosse supercars produced is for sale out of The NetherlandsOne of 19 Ascari Ecosse supercars produced is for sale out of The NetherlandsOne of 19 Ascari Ecosse supercars produced is for sale out of The NetherlandsOne of 19 Ascari Ecosse supercars produced is for sale out of The NetherlandsOne of 19 Ascari Ecosse supercars produced is for sale out of The NetherlandsOne of 19 Ascari Ecosse supercars produced is for sale out of The NetherlandsOne of 19 Ascari Ecosse supercars produced is for sale out of The Netherlands
Initially estimated to fetch between €155,000 and €195,000 ($188,000 and $237,000), the car is now listed at a fixed price of €165,000, which would be roughly $200,000 at today’s exchange rate. Considering we’re talking of one of the 19 examples ever made during a six-year production run and one of the two ever made in left-hand drive configuration, the high asking price makes sense.

This is a 1997 Ascari Ecosse, based on the mid-engined Ascari FGT concept introduced at the 1995 British Motor Show and that went on to race at the British GT championship in 1995, 1996, and 1997.

Like the FGT, the Ecosse boasts a lightweight fiberglass and kevlar body, but instead of a Chevrolet engine, it packs a tuned BMW 4.4-liter V8 engine that produced 300 hp and a top speed of 200 mph (322 kph) when new. Unlike the FGT, it boasts a cabin with all the amenities expected of a luxury car (even by today’s standards), including carbon fiber dashboard, premium sound system, trimmed red leather, and AC.

As noted above, between 1997 and 2003, only 19 such supercars were produced, and this was one of the first. Chassis no. SA9FGT1BNVT074008 was registered for most of its lifetime in the UK but spent most of that time in Spain, at the Ascari Race Resort Circuit near Ronda. In 2011, still in the ownership of the family of company boss/professional racing driver Klaas Zwar, it was moved to The Netherlands.

The Zwar family sold it to the current owner in 2019. Since then, it’s been properly cared for and maintained, with the only notable modification being a transmission upgrade: a six-speed manual for the original five-speed one. Boasting a recent full repaint, the supercar shows just 12,000 miles (19,312 km) on the odo.

“It presents in excellent condition, commensurate with its perfect ownership history and is an exceptional opportunity to acquire an extremely rare but eminently useable supercar,” the listing notes.

Maybe it’s enough to convince a regular buyer, seeing how it failed to sell at auction.
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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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