Marcos (automobile)
 |
|
| Private | |
| Industry | Automotive |
| Fate | Liquidated |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Founder |
Jem Marsh Frank Costin |
| Defunct | 2007 |
| Headquarters | Kenilworth, England |
|
Key people
|
Tony Stelliga (director) |
| Products | Automobile |
| Website | marcos-eng.com |
Marcos Engineering was a British sports car manufacturer. The name derives from the surnames of founders Jem Marsh and Frank Costin.
Marcos was founded in Dolgellau, North Wales, in 1959 by Jem Marsh and Frank Costin. Costin had earlier worked on the De Havilland Mosquito fighter-bombers and from there he got the idea to use plywood for the chassis. The company moved to a converted mill in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire in 1963; in 1971 they reclocated to a £125,000 purpose-built factory at nearby Westbury.
Problems with exporting cars to the USA and the move to the expensive new premises led to financial troubles, and in 1971 Marcos went out of business. In July 1971 it was reported that the Rob Walker Group of Companies, a principal dealer, had acquired the stocks and assets and established a new company, Marcos Ltd. The new owners said production would continue, albeit, at least in the short term, only for the UK market, but it is not clear whether any additional cars were built. Although Marcos dealers in the UK had been heavily discounting new cars since the end of 1970, and Motor magazine reported at the time of the collapse that the company's stock of 35 unsold cars in the United States had to be "liquidated", there may have been a substantial stock of new cars still looking for buyers.
One Saturday in June 1972, what was described as "a cash jumble sale of Marcos bits – prototype and shop soiled components, benches, tools..." took place at the "old Marcos Cars factory" at Westbury. The sale was occasioned by the company's reorganisation and move to a smaller factory.
Marsh stayed in the car business, and bought back the rights to the Marcos name in 1976. In 1981 the brand was relaunched with the Marcos V6 Coupé, which was sold in kit form. The design evolved to incorporate both Rover and Ford V8 engines, as well as moving from kit cars to entirely factory built cars (from 1992), before the company went bankrupt again in 2000.
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Wikipedia