2003 Marcos TS500

Finished in its original Sparkling Silver Metallic, this very car was the factory development mule before being featured in the Marcos sales brochure prior to the launch at Canary Wharf and the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2004.

Interestingly, it was also used as the Marcos press car so there are reviews of it including one by Graham Bell who drove it hard in wet conditions, getting it up to 150 mph in fourth gear before running out of runway before he could discover its full potential.

In a fabulous condition after having been tidied up by Colour Flash in Birmingham, it is showing just three former keepers. With a full service history, it had fresh oil and a new filter less than 1,000 miles ago.

Having still covered only 16,500 miles from new, this is your chance to get your hands on a thundering British sportscar, the likes of which you will never run into anywhere else!

The Sparkling Silver Metallic paintwork looks fabulous; this car might have had an interesting life but it’s clearly been something of a pampered one, too.

And while the panel gaps aren’t going to trouble any volume manufacturer, the overall fit-and-finish is pretty good for what is a two-off car. The panels are still straight and well-aligned, and they’re free of damage, scrapes and scuffs too.

The folding black fabric roof fits surprisingly well for such a limited production run car. It’s taut and decently weather-tight when it’s up - and nor does it spoil the lines when it is down. And it’s in good shape with no rips, tears or other damage.

The ten-spoke alloy wheels are in decent shape with only very light nibbling to the rims here and there in addition to some patination to the centre caps. They’re shod with matching Toyo Proxes tyres too, all of which look to have good tread.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you an insight into their attitude towards maintenance.

The light lenses are all good, as are the badge and glass. In fact, as there is no rust to worry about, the worst we can say is that the Marcos bonnet badge has seen better days, there’s a fair-sized chip in the paint on the offside leading edge of the bonnet, and the rear number plate light is askance.

That’s not a bad To Do list, is it?

The unusually trimmed seats look terrific; far more interesting than the sort of conventional sports seats we’re more used to seeing in cars of this type, the leather and Alcantara finish still looks terrific with only light creasing to the black leather and a little wear to the outer bolster of the driver’s seat. Wonderfully, in traditional Marcos-style, the seat is fixed and the pedal box moves under electric power to your desired driving position.

The three-spoke Momo Race steering wheel feels as good in the hand as it looks and the twin stalks look like Mont Blanch fountain pens. The stubby little gear-lever falls exactly where you would want it to and the bulbous gear knob feels gorgeous in your hand; this is a very tactile car indeed.

It’s also a visual treat with that lovely wood-faced dashboard, cute little push buttons, and cluster of four white-faced gauges with the TS500 logo on the two main dials.

Music comes via a Kenwood head unit and a set of Sony speakers mounted in the doors.

There is air-con fitted, but on our test drive we either couldn't fathom how to turn it on or, more likely, it is not pumping cold air at the moment. Other work to do seems to be limited to a good vacuum and checking through.

The Marcos’s servicing regimen is neatly detailed on the attached sheets and invoices; suffice it to say it should be in need of nothing and it looks to have been serviced on time and regardless of cost.

The owner describes it as: “Mild and easy to drive at low revs, with a roaring bellowing noise on heavy acceleration, it spits and back-fires on deceleration, becoming a real demon when driven hard.”

Graham Bell agreed, writing at the time: “This is no Euro-emasculated, noise abatement society approved ninny, but a rumbling, grumbling bruiser that’s as loud and proud as a V8 powered sports car should be.”

We’ve driven it and were struck by three things: it goes as it should; it has a very light clutch; and by hell it’s quick.

The clamshell front-end lifts away to reveal the V8 engine in all its glory. Clean and well-presented, it’s in need of nothing other than, perhaps, professionally detailing – but that’s only because the rest of the car is so good rather than because the engine bay is especially bad.

 The Marcos’s MOT certificate expires in April 2021 and was gained with no advisory points, something it’s been doing for the past couple of years.

It has a number of expired MOT certificates plus a thick wad of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years. It also has two keys, the original specification sheet, and notes on its correct operation.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

Where do you start to describe a car like this? One of only two ever made, it has an illustrious provenance and a very good service history. Seemingly in need of nothing other than the lightest of cosmetic fettling, this is one for the enthusiast, where we can see it forming the centrepiece of an impressive collection.

With thunderous performance and featuring very adjustable suspension that can be altered to meet the new owner’s needs, we think it’s going to end up being surprisingly affordable; with a guide price of between £19,000 and £27,000, it’s likely to be a very cost-effective way of owning a gorgeous V8-powered modern classic with an interesting history and an important role in the company’s history.

Inspection is always encouraged (within Govt. guidelines of course), and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.