A True Driver's Car
It’s the looks that define a Marcos GT, and have done since its launch in 1964. Stylist Dennis Adams’ genius was in creating a car that resembled a schoolboy’s fantasy doodle on an exercise book but then making it real. A hit with the ‘in crowd’ in the 1960s and early ’70s – film director Sam Wanamaker had one, as did Rod Stewart and many other celebs – it’s always appealed to people who want to be seen in something different.
But, crucially, it is also a true driver’s car, one that evolved from the race track. The basic design endured for more than three decades and evolved to cope with over 500bhp in its very last incarnation. Here we’ll focus on the earlier, more ‘classic’ versions; but much of what follows has relevance for the modern …show more content…
Not only does it have build records for every single car made, and can supply all the parts to keep them on the road, but boss Rory MacMath has been working with the cars continuously since 1968.
‘There’s a truly worldwide following for Marcoses,’ says Rory (above), ‘and cars are coming out of the woodwork all the time. As we all know, the classic car market has been growing in recent years and there’s been a slow but steady increase in Marcos values along with …show more content…
Odd thing is, the wooden chassis can last rather better than the steel one...
‘Wood is a much-misunderstood medium,’ says Rory, struggling to keep the frustration out of his voice. ‘It’s light, simple to repair, very strong and has a slight but important degree of flexibility. The first steel Marcos chassis were much more prone to rot away than the wooden structures they superseded.’
However, any wood will deteriorate if exposed to damp or oil for long periods of time; check out the rear bulkheads and boot floor in particular. The outer glassfibre shell is bonded around the three-part sills: ‘Usually it’s the inner member that suffers most, through water dripping off the doors,’ says Rory, ‘and that can be accessed from inside the car. Worst-case scenario, you cut away the glassfibre between the front and rear wheelarches – but it’s still straightforward to repair’.
The body itself is all glassfibre and subject to the same kind of chips and stress fractures that affect any GRP car shell; bonnets are the most frequent casualties due to that long, vulnerable nose. In the event of a bad smash, Marcos Heritage can provide any panel required, since it owns the
But, crucially, it is also a true driver’s car, one that evolved from the race track. The basic design endured for more than three decades and evolved to cope with over 500bhp in its very last incarnation. Here we’ll focus on the earlier, more ‘classic’ versions; but much of what follows has relevance for the modern …show more content…
Not only does it have build records for every single car made, and can supply all the parts to keep them on the road, but boss Rory MacMath has been working with the cars continuously since 1968.
‘There’s a truly worldwide following for Marcoses,’ says Rory (above), ‘and cars are coming out of the woodwork all the time. As we all know, the classic car market has been growing in recent years and there’s been a slow but steady increase in Marcos values along with …show more content…
Odd thing is, the wooden chassis can last rather better than the steel one...
‘Wood is a much-misunderstood medium,’ says Rory, struggling to keep the frustration out of his voice. ‘It’s light, simple to repair, very strong and has a slight but important degree of flexibility. The first steel Marcos chassis were much more prone to rot away than the wooden structures they superseded.’
However, any wood will deteriorate if exposed to damp or oil for long periods of time; check out the rear bulkheads and boot floor in particular. The outer glassfibre shell is bonded around the three-part sills: ‘Usually it’s the inner member that suffers most, through water dripping off the doors,’ says Rory, ‘and that can be accessed from inside the car. Worst-case scenario, you cut away the glassfibre between the front and rear wheelarches – but it’s still straightforward to repair’.
The body itself is all glassfibre and subject to the same kind of chips and stress fractures that affect any GRP car shell; bonnets are the most frequent casualties due to that long, vulnerable nose. In the event of a bad smash, Marcos Heritage can provide any panel required, since it owns the