Marcos Closes Shop

By Bruce McCulloch


After the company’s rather recent revival in early 2000, English supercar manufacturer “Marcos Engineering”, has just announced that the company will be closing shop due to “insufficient profits”, “high cost bases” and a British pound which is falling and falling.

Mind you, this is far from the first time that Marcos has endured profit problems, and ultimately, bankruptcy. Originally founded in 1959 in Bedfordshire, England, by Jem Marsh and Frank Costin, the company enjoyed about a decade of success until problems with exporting the vehicles to North America led to dire financial issues which eventually forced the company into closing shop some time in 1971.

However, in 1976, Jem Marsh revived Marcos yet again, and in 1981, launched a kit-car called the “Marcos V6 Coupe”. Yet, that wasn’t without its fair share of faults too. In 2000, the company went bust yet again, but was eventually bought out by young Canadian electronic-tycoon, Tony Stelliga.

Under Stelliga’s regime, the company only boasted a line-up of two vehicles; the convertible TSO R/T, and hardtop TSO GT released early last year. As both were powered by Chevrolet’s Corvette 8-Cylinder, styled by Ex. TVR stylist Damian McTaggart, and co-engineered with racing supplier “Prodrive”, its clear Stelliga had great plans for the company’s future.


Though, even when Stelliga was at the helm, I’d by lying if I said the company hadn’t its faults. When Marcos released the TSO GT in 2006, the company founder promised their vehicles would make great alternatives to TVR’s, but with added durability and reliability thanks to the Chevrolet motors. But despite the hard work from Tony Stelliga and his company, Marcos cars hadn’t gained any real improvements overall, although the engines were indeed burst-proof. But that was the best part of the cars; in fact the car themselves were often plagued with poor fit and finish, choppy reliability and a driving experience on the left side of death’s sickle; choppy, unpredictable, dangerous and thus scary to take to the limit.

Yet despite all of this, I can’t shade my disappointment regarding this news. Faults and all, I loved Marcos automobiles. They had such an abundance of interesting character to them. Sports car enthusiasts worldwide will miss ‘em.