Gerard Ducarouge, who designed F1 cars for Matra, Lotus, Ligier and Alfa-Romeo, has died.

A graduate of the École Nationale Technique d’Aéronautique, where he graduated in aeronautical engineering, after a short spell at Nord Aviation, where he worked on various missile projects, he joined a fledgling Matra-Sports where began work on its F3 programme

He subsequently moved up to the company's F2 department and then F1, eventually being appointed Head of Operations. During this time he designed the MS10, the car with which Jackie Stewart (pictured) finished runner-up in the 1968 championship, and MS80, the car with which Stewart won the first of his three titles.

Between 1972 and 1974, Ducarouge-designed Matra MS670 Sports Cars won the Le Mans 24-hour race three times, taking the World Championship for Makes in 1973 and 1974.

Ducarouge subsequently joined up with former rugby player Guy Ligier, designing the Matra-powered JS7 with which Jacques Lafitte scored the team's maiden victory in 1976 at Anderstorp in Sweden.

Though Ligier's best years were 1979, when it finished third in the Constructors' Championship, taking three wins from the first five races, and 1980, when it finished runner-up, he remained with the team until 1983, parting company with the French outfit following Andrea de Cesaris' disqualification ahead of its home Grand Prix.

He then popped up at Alfa-Romeo, producing the 182 with which Andrea de Cesaris took pole at Long Beach and finished third at Monaco.

Though sought by Renault, Ducarouge was recruited by Peter Warr, team boss at Team Lotus which had been in decline for a number of years and still reeling from the death of company founder Colin Chapman.

Within weeks of joining the legendary British team, Ducarouge presented the 94T, which in the hands of Nigel Mansell and Elio de Angelis was to kick start the Lotus revival.

Over the next few seasons, Ducarouge's cars enjoyed seven wins, and whilst the title eluded the Hethel outfit, between 1984 and 1987 it finished third in the Constructors' Championship on three occasions. Six of those wins, of course, were with Ayrton Senna, the first being that legendary performance at Estoril in 1985.

All good things come to an end and as the Lotus revival began to wain, Senna headed off to McLaren. Ducarouge continued with Lotus before returning to France and joining Larrousse where he helped design the Lola, the Frenchman having worked with team founder Gerard Larousse in his Matra days..

He subsequently rejoined Ligier helping out with the JS39 which saw the French team enjoy another brief revival in its fortunes, before finally opting to turn his back on F1.

In later years he returned to Matra where he was appointed International Development Director on a range of projects, including development of the Renault Espace F1.

A legendary designer in an era when F1 cars had a style and personality of their own.