Final Ascari Ecosse Ever Produced Is a Stunning Showcase of F1 Spirit
No. 17 Ascari Ecosse is an inimitable, Formula One inspired supercar, and is the first to ever be offered for sale on the secondary market.
A supercar for the streets inspired by Formula One. When you read that line you probably immediately think of Ferrari. Or perhaps Mercedes-AMG. The name Ascari is not likely to pop in your head at all. However, die hard fans of Formula One may realize that Alberto Ascari was the first ever double world champion in the sport. So, when Dutch businessman and racing driver Klaas Zwart founded his automobile company he thought Ascari would be the perfect name. The British-based Ascari car company may not have ever become a household name in the sportscar world. However, while in existence it turned out some remarkable cars. Perhaps the most remarkable of all was the Ascari Ecosse. Only 17 were ever made and now number 17 is up for sale.
The listing comes to us courtesy of Drew Wheeler Sports and Classics. They are based in the UK and specialize in the sales of classic and modern sports cars. The car being offered here is a 2004 Ascari Ecosse. Don’t let the “Eco” in Ecosse fool you, this car is all about speed and performance. Weighing in at about 2,750 pounds the Ascari Ecosse is powered by a Hartge-tuned BMW V8 engine. Putting out about 400 horsepower the engine can push the car to 60 mph in about 4 seconds flat. That may not be too quick by today’s standards, but it should reach 200 mph flat out.
This car was designed to be a track weapon, but consideration was given to street driving. As a result, this is a track weapon that can be driven to the track as well. This car shows 11,000 miles which is very low for a regular 2004 model car. However, for a racer like this it is actually fairly high. It goes to show that this car must be at least somewhat comfortable on the road. You would certainly be the only one rolling up to your local cars and coffee in one.
The car is finished in a lovely deep maroon metallic paint color. On the inside the car seems reasonably well equipped. You have leather, a stereo system and air conditioning. You also have a pedal box that looks like it was taken right out of a race car. It has metal pedals, three of them, with all the cables and fittings exposed. There does not seem to be any airbags inside, so hopefully the AP Racing brakes can keep you out of trouble. This is an analog car that you will need to master. The asking price for this experience is about $213,000.
Interestingly, the car listed for sale right next to the Ascari Ecosse is a 2014 Ferrari 458 Spider. The Ferrari is roughly the same price. It is ten years newer and has about 7,500 miles. So, the question is which would you choose? The 458 which was built by the company that Alberto Ascari won his Formula One Championships in? Or would you go for the obscure and raw Ascari Ecosse? Let us know where you would put your money in the 6SpeedOnline forums.
Images: drewwheeler.co.uk
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