1966 Marcos 1800 GT

History

The Marco Marque came into existence in 1959 and was formed by Frank Costin and Jem Marsh. They were based in Dolgellau, North Wales, before moving into a converted mill in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, in 1963 and in 1971 to a purpose-built factory at Westbury. After the escalating costs of moving into the new premises and the difficulty with exporting cars to the United States due to mounting problems with safety and emissions standards, the Marcos Company went out of business in 1971. In July 1971, the Rob Walker Group of Companies acquired the stocks and assets and established a new company, Marcos Ltd. The plan was to initially continue production only for the UK market, but it is believed that no additional cars were produced. Jem Marsh bought back the rights to the Marcos name in 1976. In 1981, the Marcos V6 Coupe was sold in kit form. The company continued until 2000 when it entered bankruptcy. The company was purchased by a Canadian entrepreneur named Tony Stelliga, and the Marcos Company re-entered production in 2002. In October 2007, the company entered voluntary liquidation.

The Marcos 1800 was launched at the London Racing Car Show and entered production in the early 1960s and was originally powered by a four-cylinder, 1800cc, Volvo engine mated to an overdrive gearbox. The engines were changed to Ford power plants in 1966, and the DeDion rear axle was replaced with a coil-sprung live axle. In 1969, the engine again changed, this time to the Ford Essex V4 engine. The plywood chassis was replaced in 1969 with steel, which reduced production time and allowed for large and more powerful engines.

The cars were sporty, lightweight, and rather efficient. One of their drawbacks was the relatively high price which kept sales to a minimum.

One of the unique features of the Marcos 1800 was the fixed seats and adjustable pedals.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2014