In January 1966 a new Marcos model appeared- the Mini Marcos GT850, constructed entirely from glass fibre,

For those who wanted to be involved in developing their own version of the Mini, the body shell was available in various stages of finish.

Some of the less charitable members of the motoring press of the time described the vehicle as nothing more than a Mini posing as a sports coupe.  

To make things even more challenging for those UK “flower children” of the Sixties was the fact that Marcos never supplied these machines as complete cars, only as DIY kits.

Despite that possible stumbling block, once constructed the Mini Marcos  Thad a character all of their own, the Mini-Marcos was effectively a simply-trimmed GRP monocoque, shaped as a two-seater coupe, which buyers could even cut some costs by fitting the body fit in place of any Mini body.

All Mini-Marcos’s  therefore, had transversely mounted engines with front-wheel drive, and all of them used sturdy (but rust-prone) Mini sub-frames at front and rear. Firm all-independent suspension, accurate rack-and-pinion steering, and instant handling response were typical Mini features.

Despite being crudely constructed and not so pleasing to the eye, the Mini Marcos gathered a cult following during the Sixties.

This little cult car considerably enhanced its mystique when a Mini Marcos ran out as the only British built finisher at the Le Mans 24 endurance race of 1966.

Powered initially by an 850-cc engine capable of generating a modest 34 bhp, thanks to its extremely light weight, the Mini Marcos was capable of reaching speeds of 78 mph. (125 k/ph)

The car was improved over the years, gaining more in the way of refinements, until the Marcos company went bankrupt in 1971

At that time, the company was bought out by the Rob Walker Group, which modified the rear end of the Mini-Marcos to include an opening rear hatch (to improve practicality) and offered wind-up windows instead of the fixed items.

From 1975 to 1981, the Mini Marcos acted as a blueprint for Harold Dermott, who built the similar-looking Midas Bronze, which was also Mini-based.

To show its timeless durability, the Mini-Marcos was recently relaunched as a Mk V version by Marcos Heritage Spares.