Marcos 2.5 Litre

1972 Marcos 2.5 Litre

Offered by H&H Classics | Buxton, U.K. | April 2024

Photo – H&H Classics

The Marcos GT, the basic shape of which carried over long after the model went out of production in 1990, was first introduced in 1964 in 1800 GT form. By 1967 a smaller displacement 1600 GT version was introduced. Then, two years later, they made the available engine bigger, with the Marcos 2 Litre.

The 3 Litre model debuted in ’68 with a Ford V6. In 1971, Marcos produced 12 examples with a Triumph 2.5-liter inline-six and sold them as the 2.5 Litre. That’s what this is. A rare bird indeed. Output was rated at 150 horsepower. All of these engines were originally intended for the company’s new Mantis model. But they were leftover, thus the shoehorning into the GT.

This example was upgraded under current ownership and has just under 80,000 miles. The pre-sale estimate is $17,750-$20,250. Click here for more info.

Marcos Mantaray

1999 Marcos Mantaray 4.6

Offered by Historics Auctioneers | Datchet, U.K. | July 22, 2023

Photo – Historics Auctioneers

It’s kind of amazing Marcos was still turning out sports cars in the late 1990s. They were like a smaller version of already-small TVR. Founded in 1959, the company really hit their stride in the late ’60s – and that basic design would continue on in updated form for the next 30 years.

The Mantaray was the replacement for the Mantara and went on sale in 1997. Two Rover V8s were offered, with the larger being the 4.6-liter unit this car has. Turbo fours could also be had. Just seven were built with this engine out of a total production run of about 27 cars.

This big-motor sports car has been with the current owner since 2005. It’s got under 15,000 miles and also has an estimate of $19,000-$25,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $21,961.

Marcos 1600GT

1968 Marcos 1600GT

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | May 7, 2022

Photo – Brightwells

The first of the Marcos GT line of cars was the 1800GT, which featured a Volvo powerplant. Two years later, the Volvo 1800 was out, and the Ford Kent-powered 1500GT was in. Due to the power drop between the two, Marcos bored the 1500 out, selling an uprated 1650GT for a brief time before introducing the 1600GT, which was sold from 1967 through 1969.

This model featured a 1.6-liter Ford Kent inline-four with a crossflow cylinder head. Output was rated at 100 horsepower when new. The 1600GT outsold earlier models, with 192 built in the three years of production.

Originally blue, this car has been redone, with the engine overhauled to displace 1,670cc, among other upgrades. The pre-sale estimate is $15,000-$18,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $16,449.

Marcos Mantula

1988 Marcos Mantula Spyder

Offered by H&H | Duxford, U.K. | November 17, 2021

Photo – H&H

Marcos built some interesting, if not a little awkward-looking, sports cars in the 1960s. By 1972, the company was out of business. However, in 1981, Jem Marsh, who had co-founded Marcos initially, brought the company back to life. A stream of more modern cars followed until everything went belly-up again in the late 2000s.

The Mantula was introduced in 1983 and was sold as a coupe or a spyder. Just 119 spyder variants were produced through 1993. Externally, they carried many of the same visual cues as Marcos cars of the ’60s, but everything was just a little sleeker to fit the times. Power is from a 3.5-liter Rover V8 that was much lighter than the previous sixes the company used previously.

This 30,000-mile example is expected to sell for between $16,000-$19,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $19,651.

Marcos 1800GT

1965 Marcos 1800GT

Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, U.K. | March 29, 2020

Photo – Bonhams

Just a few weeks ago we featured another model from the Marcos GT line of cars: the Marcos 1500GT. So what’s the difference? Well, for starters, the 1800GT was the first of the company’s GT cars. It was introduced in 1964 and was built for two years until the 1500GT took over.

The 1800GT was introduced with a plywood chassis and a 1.8-liter Volvo inline-four that originally made 96 horsepower. This car, converted to competition spec, has a rebuilt engine that is said to make 157 horsepower.

This car is historic racing eligible and is one of only 100 built. The pre-sale estimate here is $45,000-$58,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Marcos 1500GT

1968 Marcos 1500GT

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 5, 2020

Photo – Bonhams

The Marcos GT remains the torchbearer for Marcos styling. They’ve more or less iterated upon this design since it was first launched in 1964 as the 1800. Part of the charm of that car was that it used a fiberglass body over a plywood chassis and a Volvo-sourced engine.

In 1966, Marcos placed a 1.5-liter Ford Kent inline-four under the hood and re-dubbed the car the 1500GT. Output was 85 horsepower. The car would continue to evolve and eventually lose its plywood chassis in favor of a steel one.

This is one of only 82 1500GTs built and one of only eight delivered new to the U.S. They’re a rare sight on either side of the pond, and this one should sell for somewhere in the neighborhood of $50,000-$60,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $33,600.

Marcos LM400

1997 Marcos LM400 Roadster

Offered by Coys | Syon Park, U.K. | October 19, 2019

Photo – Coys

It’s too bad the photos of this car aren’t better, because it’s a wild thing. Marcos was founded in 1959, but by the 1990s they were on shaky ground and had been for quite a while. They were bankrupt (for the second time) in 2000. This was pretty much it for Marcos (though there was a brief revival). They went down swinging in the 90s with some outrageous stuff.

It started with the Mantis in 1968, and Marcos styling just sort of evolved from that point. In the 80s and early 90s, there were all sorts of takes on the Mantis: the Mantula, Martina, Mantara… and a fresh Mantis. Around 1993, Marcos wanted to get back into motorsport. In order to do so, they had to build road-going versions of whatever they wanted to race.

And the LM-series of cars were born. Built in 400, 500, and 600-spec, the LM was a limited-production series. Only 30 were built in total, 14 of which were LM400s. Power is from a 3.9-liter Rover V8 making 190 horsepower. It’s unclear how many of the 14 LM400s were convertibles.

This one should sell for $30,000-$40,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Marcos TS500

2003 Marcos TS500

Offered by Coys | Fontwell House, U.K. | July 12, 2018

Photo – Coys

Marcos Engineering lasted quite a while, from 1959 through 2007. Over the course of that time, they made a number of different models in varying quantities and each successive car looked like an evolution of the design before it (with one major exception). For example, compare the overall look of this TS500 to 1970’s Marcos 3-Litre.

The TS500 was an updated version of the company’s Marcasite TS250. Instead of a 2.5-liter V-6, the TS500 features a 320 horsepower, 5.0-liter Rover V-8. Sixty mph arrived in about four seconds and the car tops out around 160 mph.

Only a handful of these were made before Marcos switched up production to focus on the TSO before ultimately going out of business. This car was the original factory prototype and press car. It’s a 15,000 mile car with service records. A rare treat from a lost British sports car manufacturer, this convertible should bring between $33,000-$40,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Mini Marcos

1962 Marcos Mini Marcos

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | July 11, 2018

Photo – Brightwells

Marcos Engineering Ltd., founded by Jem Marsh and Frank Costin in 1959, built sports cars originally in North Wales before moving to Wiltshire and then to Westbury. In 1965 they introduced the Mini Marcos, a small front-wheel drive sports car based around the Mini.

Marcos supplied the body as a kit. The owner could take a Mini and swap out the body and some other bits, ending up with a sports car that had international racing pedigree. That’s right, the Mini Marcos ran at Le Mans, among other places. These were offered in five different series between 1965 and 1970 (this car is based on a 1962 Mini). A different company sold them between 1974 and 1981 and Marcos re-entered the picture in 1991, offering them through 1996.

This car is powered by an 848cc straight-four. These are screaming little machines and about 1,340 of them were built in total by all companies. This three owner car was recently recommissioned after nearly two decades in storage. It should sell for between $13,000-$16,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

Marcos 3 Litre

1970 Marcos 3 Litre

Offered by H&H Classics | Chateau Impney, U.K. | December 12, 2015

Photo - H&H Classics

Photo – H&H Classics

Marcos Engineering Ltd was founded in 1959 by Jem Marsh and Frank Costin (the brother of Cosworth co-founder Mike Costin). The company built quite the variety of kit cars and sports cars over the years before going out of business in 2007. The Marcos GT was a line of sports cars first introduced in 1964. The first car featured a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine.

But in 1968, the company introduced the 3 Litre model – which uses a 3.0-liter V-6 making 140 horsepower. Most of these were sold as kit cars. This one is in decent shape but could use a freshening.

The GT was built until the company went out of business in 1971 after an aborted attempt to enter the U.S. market. It wasn’t until 1981 that the company re-emerged and the GT went back into production until 1990. This example could bring between $18,275-$22,850. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.