1970 Marcos 3-Litre GT

With the same keeper since 1972, this wonderfully OTT Marcos benefits from a recent MoT, a replacement galvanised chassis, and a recent £3,000 investment at Marcos specialists Redline Sportscars.

Fitted with the three-litre Ford V6 engine and four-speed gearbox plus a Laycock overdrive, it’s a film star too, having appeared in the horror film Dracula.

Used as a much-loved daily driver for many years, only ill-health forces its reluctant sale now.

Just take a look at the four machinegun-style exhaust pipes and tell me that wasn’t a deliberate provocation. Throw in eight (count ‘em, eight!) rear lamp lenses, bright yellow coachwork, and the most provocative haunches this side of *insert your favourite celebrity bottom here* and the result is a car for whom the word ‘subtle’ is an unknown; when you get overtaken by one of these – and you will – surrender is your only option.

Unless, of course, it’s you who’s driving it. And, let’s face it, there’s very little reason not to bid on this one given how lovely it is.

Because, improbable though it might seem, the front end is even more impressive than the rear. That long bonnet – and the Marcos is one of the few cars that makes the E Type look under-endowed in that department - is supplemented by two large headlamps and a pair of blade-like front quarter-bumpers.

It’s an exercise in both conspicuous excess and admirable restraint and is absolutely glorious.

The build quality is good for a fibreglass car. While the panel alignment and shutlines aren’t going to be causing any sleepless nights at Audi, they’re decent and certainly nothing to worry about.

Obviously, rust isn’t an issue but then nor is its condition, because these panels have weathered the post-restoration years – and it was 30 years ago – very well.

The alloy wheels are in a decent condition and they’re fitted with three matching Kumho tyres, with the nearside rear being the exception. The Kumhos look recent and have good tread but the N/S rear looks old and perished and will need replacing.

Speaking of things that will need your attention, the large sliding fabric sunroof offers genuine wind-in-the-hair motoring but its fit could be better.

Other work to do? Well, there is some condensation under the offside headlamp cowl (#57), some of the chrome is pitted (#113), there’s some light cracking to the paint (e.g. #68), and the nearside door doesn’t fit as well as it might along the rearmost bottom edge. Trifling stuff, then.

The interior is very of-the-period with a plethora of delightful touches that’re sure to trigger a whole host of childhood and teenage memories flooding back.

There’s a Mountney steering wheel in there for example, which for those of us of a certain age is as evocation as a pair of Ring spot lamps and a Feu Orange air freshener hanging from the mirror.

The array of Smiths instruments adds yet another layer of nostalgia, as does the twin-spindle Philips radio and the Kangol seatbelts.

The seats are deep buckets, perfect for holding you firmly during the sort of high-G turns the Marcos is capable of.

The interior is also very of-the-period due to its condition, which is patinated and a little sub-par compared to the rest of the car. It’s not terrible but we can see the new owner will probably want to undertake a rolling refurbishment in there, restoring and replacing bits of trim as and when money and motivation collide.

January 2023 saw it entering the care of Redline Sportscars, the well-known Marcos specialists, where it was given a full service and check over. This resulted in a bill for £2,900 but they did rectify a number of irritating little faults, all of which are detailed in slides #262 and #265.

There are plenty of previous invoices on file, including one from 1993 from Marcos for a whole host of parts including a replacement chassis when the car was rebuilt by Marcos Heritage. As you can see, the bills were formidable.

There’s also a receipt for an engine rebuild in 2006 by Marcos Heritage. This was for £7,000 in all, further supporting our claim that this example really has been the subject of a money-no-object maintenance regime.

Mind you, all this hard work has paid off though because, as the video shows, it starts and runs well.

It revs very well and also shows good oil pressure and a decent charge from the alternator – and the exhaust note is just about perfect, isn’t it?

You’ll also have noticed the less welcome rattle from the starter(?), which will need further investigation.

The engine bay is workmanlike but if the new owner were to add detailing it to the (short) list of work to do we can’t see anyone accusing them of being overly fussy.

The Marcos’s MoT certificate is valid until January 2024

The history file includes some expired road tax discs and MoT certificates, photographs of a previous restoration, the original type-written data and servicing instructions from Marcos, a handbook for the Laycock De Normanville overdrive, and letters from Marcos regarding the restoration.

NB: We must point out that the Marcos was declared a Category C write-off in the early 1990s following a minor accident. The insurance company identified a bent chassis and wanted it straightened by one of their approved repairers.

The owner refused and insisted on a new chassis from the factory, so his insurance company wrote the car off. He bought it back and entrusted it to Marcos Heritage to rebuild it with a new galvanised chassis. This a) makes him one of us, b) sticks it to The Man, and c) turns what might have been a Greek tragedy into an Icelandic saga.

One of the many joys of running a car like the Marcos is its analogue nature and use of widely available parts, which means if you’ve got a half-decent tool kit you can keep it running ad infinitum.

But, practicality be damned: The Marcos is a car you buy because it makes you smile, not because you’ve got cheap ‘n’ easy servicing on your mind.

It sounds like a NASCAR, looking like an even sexier version of the E Type everyone else raves about, and offers enough minor cosmetic fettling to keep even the most avid DIYer busy for a few weekends.

We estimate this charming British sportscar to fetch between £15,000 and £20,000. Tempting, no?

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.