Wednesday 16th October 1963
The Marcos GT was presented at the 1963 Earls Court Motor Show. The chassis was constructed from wood clothed in a glass fibre shell. With a low roof line and a long sleek long bonnet it was reminiscent of the E-type Jaguar and Ferrari GTO. It had a Volvo 1800cc engine and De Dion sophisticated rear suspension. Production costs were high and this changed in 1966 to a more conventional suspension and a Ford V4 engine, and optional more powerful Ford V6 and Volvo 3 litre straight 6 achieving speeds in excess of 120 mph. The export version to North America used the Volvo engine for exhaust emission regulations. The Vanden Plas Princess 1100d was shown to gauge public reaction. The Show car was converted by hand from an MG1100, with luxury equipment including a burr walnut-veneer dashboard, housing two round instruments, door cappings and picnic tables; Connolly hide upholstery, Wilton carpets and West of England cloth headlining.
