Ex-F1 team Ligier teases new sports car

Famous French car brand Ligier has teased a picture of car it will develop to celebrate five decades of car making and racing.

Best known for its participation in Formula 1 between 1976 and 1996, the Ligier name is nowadays used by fellow French race car maker, Onroak Automotive, under license.

Onroak has now decided to cash in on its association with Ligier by creating a fitting way to mark its 50 years.

Releasing a single image of what looks like a concept inspired by the Ford Mustang, Ligier has announced the vehicle it plans to make won't actually be road-legal.

Instead, its birthday present to itself will be created and homologated to comply with the FIA Group E racing category regs.

That means it must weigh in at less than 780kg.

Under the bonnet, there's a 3.7-litre V6 of unknown origin that's good for around 240kW and is combined with a race-spec six-speed sequential gearbox.

Priced in its native France from €89,000 ($A140,000), the Ligier race car will be officially unveiled this September, before sales start in November.

It's not known if there are any plans to spin off a road-going street-legal version.

Originally formed back in 1968 by former racer and rugby player, Guy Ligier, the brand's first road car -- the 1971 JS2 – was a wild mid-engined sports car powered by a Maserati V6.

The French car-maker switched its focus following the 1973 energy crisis to making micro-cars and, within Europe at least, has been selling them ever since.

On the motorsport side, as well as competing in F1, Ligier raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1970 to 1975

As part of the Onroak licensing deal, Ligier has raced since 2013 in Group CN racing and the Le Mans Prototype class (2&3), and has competed in both the US Grand Am Daytona Prototype series and Formula 3.