Reborn iconic British sports car firm announces new projects, Marcos Motor Company to build Marcos vehicles for first time in two decades
Marcos Motor Company Ltd, which owns the original assets of the iconic Marcos brand, dating back to 1959, has announced new plans. These involve development programmes and other complementary projects which will see the first new Marcos cars for around 20 years.
Three separate vehicle programmes are currently being evaluated, with physical prototypes already in development. Together they span classic Marcos models and all-new cars, for both road and track.
Project #1 is a faithful reimagining of a much-loved Marcos model with a recognisable silhouette but a contemporary platform and drivetrain. It’s being used to test new in-house capabilities but is being developed for possible track use. The first evolution of the prototype has already run.
Project #2 is an all-new vehicle with the potential for both road and track. A complete crash-tested and homologated rolling chassis has been engineered and built, and is undergoing further evaluation. The car will owe nothing to legacy Marcos models but will honour the brand ethos of light weight, simplicity and seat-of-the-pants handling.
Project #3 is for continuation cars. With ownership of the original body moulds, manufacturing tooling and jigs for almost every Marcos model produced since the company’s inception over 65 years ago, Marcos Motor Company can produce faithful contemporary versions. And with ownership of the manufacturing and brand rights, any continuation car will be authentically and officially Marcos, down to the iconic logo marque.
Marcos Motor Company will continue to provide its Marcos Heritage Spares genuine parts, servicing, maintenance and repairs offering to existing customers. This will be benefit from the wider expertise and facilities of the Marcos Motor Company group of businesses. Marcos will develop its own performance upgrades, including tuning from the group’s existing engine specialist unit.
“Marcos is a much-loved British sports car brand,” says owner and chairman Howard Nash. “It has a wonderful history but also an ethos of simplicity for raw, driver-focused handling. It’s an analogue experience you can’t get from large car manufacturers and supercar brands, and one which I think enthusiasts hanker after today.
“We want to honour that original ethos while being forward-looking too, giving Marcos a new, younger audience, as well as bringing the brand back for those who grew up with it.”
Nash is a businessman with an automotive and motorsport engineering background. He bought Marcos in 2022, having been a director of the business since 2021. He is chairman of Automotive Vision, which Marcos Motor Company sits under, along with historic entities Marcos Engineering Ltd, Marcos Sales Ltd and Marcos Heritage Spares Ltd – the one-stop shop for existing owners which has traded continuously for over 25 years. In addition the group contains a century-old automotive business currently focused on body and paint, and a long-established engine restoration and tuning business.
Marcos Highlights
Like its cars, the history of the Marcos brand is of punching well above its weight. It is peppered with firsts, remarkable achievements and famous names.
- Early cars were raced by future F1 world champion Jackie Stewart, F1 driver and team owner Jackie Oliver, and F1 driver and multiple Le Mans winner Derek Bell
- The cars were developed with know-how from the DeHavilland Mosquito fighter-bomber
- They were the world’s first monocoque chassis cars – setting the standard for modern race-car design
- The Mini Marcos lapped the entire field on its debut and was the highest-place British finisher in the 1966 Le Mans race
- It set four land speed records for 1600cc cars – which it still holds
- The Marcos GT was bought by 1960s and 1970s pop stars including Rod Stewart, the Walker Brothers, Marmalade and Paul Jones of Manfred Mann, and was chosen as an alternative to the Volvo P1800 for Roger Moore in The Saint
- In the late 1970s a GT launched the career of F1 driver Dr Jonathan Palmer
- Evolutions of the GT won British and European GT series titles in the 1990s and 2000s
- The 1998 Mantis GT was Britain’s first 500bhp road car, ensuring that Marcos continued to attracting celebrity owners including Maxi Jazz of Faithless
- Celebrity car collector Jay Leno recently drove the GT in his Jay Leno’s Garage series, calling it “one of the prettiest and most unusual sports cars of all time.”
Project 1
Project 1 is a faithful reimagining of a classic Marcos vehicle. With a silhouette largely the same as an original Marcos model it will instantly be recognised as a Marcos. But at 10%-15% larger than the original vehicle to sit on a contemporary platform, all body panels are new. The car is being used to test the company’s new capability in body and vehicle structure manufacture, systems integration and performance tuning. It may also be developed for track use. It has already turned a wheel and has shown that it will be a lot of fun to drive.
Project 2
Project 2 is an evaluation of an all-new Marcos proposal, possibly for both road and track. Again already in physical form, a complete rolling chassis has been engineered and built. The car will incorporate knowledge developed from Project 1 and will have totally original, contemporary bodywork. This is a chance to create the first all-new Marcos for around 20 years. It will owe nothing to legacy Marcos models, but it will adhere to core principles of the brand’s ethos – light weight, simplicity, fantastic handing and absolute driver involvement. It will also be possible to develop and produce the car in a very short timeframe.
Project 3
Project 3 is about more than one car. Ownership of the production rights, body moulds, tooling and jigs for official Marcos vehicles – plus our modern low-volume manufacturing solutions and group specialist engine business – means that we can create continuation vehicles of legacy models economically. It also means that, while the cars will be fit for today and bespoke, they will have Marcos heritage and authenticity, right down to the original logo marque badge.
Current Marcos structures:
The parent company of Marcos Motor Company Ltd is Automotive Vision Ltd, owned by Howard Nash. Marcos Engineering Ltd, Marcos Sales Ltd and Marcos Heritage Spares Ltd, plus the Formhalls Vintage & Racing Ltd engine shop, sit within the Marcos Motor Company group of businesses. Automotive Vision also owns Page Automotive Group Ltd, a partner to the UK insurance and accident management industry. Both Page Automotive Group and Formhalls are accredited contracted partners to the National Motor Museum Trust at Beaulieu.
Marcos ownership history:
The Marcos business goes back to 1959, founded by Jem Marsh. The original business closed in 1971 but Marsh bought back the rights in 1976. The company closed again in 2000. In 2002 Marcos Engineering Ltd was formed, again with Marsh’s involvement, before that was dissolved in 2007. Marcos Heritage Spares Ltd, which had been incorporated in 1999, acquired all Marcos production assets and brand rights, and Page Automotive Group bought Marcos Heritage Spares in 2021. Automotive Vision Ltd subsequently purchased Page Automotive Group in 2022, and shortly afterwards acquired Marcos Heritage Spares, giving it the full Marcos brand and manufacturing rights, physical assets and vehicle records.