Marcos

Marcos was a British sports car manufacturer that originated in 1959 as a collaboration between Jem Marsh, previously known for his involvement in 750 Formula racing and for parts sold under the name Speedex Accessories, and Frank Costin, a freelance designer who had recently left the de Havilland Aircraft company. The company traded under various names over the years, beginning as Speedex Castings and Accessories in Luton, Bedfordshire, before becoming Monocoque Chassis & Body Co, and later Marcos Cars Ltd, which subsequently relocated to Bradford-on-Avon and then Westbury in Wiltshire.

The first car produced by the partnership, officially named the Marcos GT but also known as the "Zylon," featured gullwing doors and a monocoque chassis built from plywood. It used Triumph Herald-derived front suspension with coil springs and double wishbones, while the live rear axle was located by leading arms and a Panhard rod. Although the prototype used a Ford 100E engine, production versions adopted newer Ford units and achieved considerable success in motor racing.

After six cars had been built, Costin left the company. The design evolved gradually, with a few open-topped variants produced, until 1963, when Dennis Adams created a new body style that would remain the defining shape of the marque. Later cars used engines from Ford, Volvo, and Triumph, and most examples sold in the United Kingdom were supplied in kit form. When Marcos entered the American market in 1968, it replaced the wooden monocoque chassis with a steel multi-tubular frame due to customer resistance to the earlier construction method.

From 1965, Marcos also produced the Mini-Marcos, a coupé built around Mini running gear with a fibreglass body and monocoque, based on a design by Paul Emery and sold as a kit. Production of the standard GT eventually reached about ten cars per week, but financial difficulties, partly caused by unsold cars shipped to the United States that could not meet new emissions regulations, led to the company's liquidation. A costly switch from Ford engines to a heavier Volvo straight-six unit, combined with expansion costs and the introduction of the four-seat Mantis coupé, further strained the business. The Mantis, styled by Dennis Adams and powered by six-cylinder Triumph components, was produced in a limited run of 32 examples, with a kit-car version following in the 1980s.

Following Marcos's collapse in 1971, Rob Walker took over production of the Mini-Marcos, which was later sold to D&H Fibreglass Developments after around 700 units had been built. D&H went on to produce a further 500 examples before developing the design into the Midas. Jem Marsh initially operated a business servicing existing Marcos owners before reviving production in 1981, offering the car again in kit form, ranging from basic to nearly fully assembled versions. Early revived models used Ford engines, but in 1983 the Mantula was introduced with a 3.5-litre Rover V8 engine and revised bodywork intended to reduce high-speed lift.

In 1986, Marcos introduced the Spyder convertible, followed by significant revisions in 1989 that included independent rear suspension with coil springs and double wishbones, inboard rear disc brakes, and wider rear wheels. By this time, the Rover V8 engine, in 3.9-litre fuel-injected form, was the only unit offered, giving the car a top speed of about 149 mph. From 1990, Marcos used a range of engines, including a 2-litre fuel-injected Ford unit.

By 1999, the company offered a variety of engines, including a 4.6-litre American Ford "quad cam" unit producing 506 bhp. Both convertible and GT versions were available, and the Mantis model was capable of reaching 168 mph. The related LM400 and LM500 models were derived from a car built for GT racing. Despite continual modifications and variations, all Marcos models remained recognizable descendants of Dennis Adams's original 1963 design.

Marcos ceased production in April 2001 following a decline in sales.