Other Cars (British & British-Inspired)

The newest addition to our photo gallery is Mike Sullivan's Marcos V8. (23 photos)

As Mike explained it to me, this particular car was originally built with a Volvo 3.0L inline six, but it was converted to Rover 3.5L V8 power under Marcos supervision at a dealership in California in December 1985. It was used as a factory demonstrator for the new V8-powered model Marcos was introducing at that time, the "Mantula". (Previous Marcos production models used four or six cylinder engines.)



Check out the rear suspension on this car! It's a "four link" (plus Panhard rod), but interestingly the links run rearward to mounts near the back bumper. Have you ever seen that before?

Nice. We have had a couple Marcos in the shop, one identical to that with the Ford 2.8L V6 that we converted to Electromotive DIS and the RWD Mini Marcos powered by a Honda Motorcycle engine. The body style above is bit tight inside but neat cars.

-BMC.

I toured the Vector plant in Green Cove Springs, Fl, a few years back and they had a couple of V8 Marcos cars in their warehouse.They had the US Marcos license at that time. I was 40 pounds lighter then and still could not fit in the driver's compartment.

Coincedentally, I now work with the man who was director of composites and design for Vector. He was stranded here after Vector moved from California and sold out to some Indonesians and then went bankrupt. This fellow also built bodies for Parnelli Jones off road trucks, some Don Prudhome funny cars ( he has a Revell model box of a '57 Chevy he built in his office and if you look you can see "Body by Loper" on the box's artwork, the body for at least one Indy 500 winner (Danny Ongais was one), cars for Michael Andretti, etc. He also did composite work on the B2,

I'll bet those bonnet release levers have the Michelotti "M" on them. Ex Spitfire.

Cool!

I bet you're right about the levers. If I'd been thinking, I'd have photographed them.

Last of the clean line Marcos before they went wild with flares and scoops.

Mine is an earlier wood chassis 1600 GT.
Getting an Alfa-Romeo 2000 engine as the 1600 Ford CF is weak and the Cosworth TC's are stupidly expensive.

You nailed it Richard about the clean lines vs wild flares and scoops. My all time favorite car.
Pre "L" Pantera then later turned into a full size Hot Wheels model another example gone bad. No thanks a 70 please. ....~~=o&o>......