Wood-Chassis Wonder! 1969 Marcos 1600 GT

The panels of many British cars from the 1920s and 1930s were crafted by wrapping metal around wood frames. That practice began to phase out in the 1950s. But there’s one car with a bona fide wood chassis – made in the 1960s, no less. The Marcos GT was launched in 1964, with a bonded plywood chassis underlying a fiberglass body. The car is strong and light, and the chassis is surprisingly durable, but making a wood frame was very expensive. About 500 examples were produced until the company was forced to shift to less costly steel construction. Here on eBay is a nicely-restored 1969 Marcos 1600 GT, advertised for $48,000. The car is located in Stanton, California, and the new owner can drive it home.

Marcos Engineering was founded in 1959 by Jem Marsh and Frank Costin. Costin was an aerodynamicist, while Marsh had worked for Speedex, a sports car maker. The company’s first car was an ungainly gullwing racer called the Luton. The GT arrived next, equipped with a Volvo B18 four-cylinder. But for a company struggling financially, the Volvo mill proved too expensive, so Marcos contracted with Ford to provide its four-cylinder Kent engines for future production. Later, Marcos installed various six-cylinder motors in its GT – these cars will tend to sell at a premium. This car has a 1600 cc crossflow Kent, decked with what the seller believes is a Weber. These engines were so pliable and powered so many makes over the decades – from the Cortina to single-seat racers – that quoting output is difficult, but 100 hp is not out of the question with the right performance parts. The gearbox is a Ford Cortina four-speed manual. The list of new and rebuilt items on this car is as long as your arm – it’s largely new from its OEM “Pine” paint coat to its adjustable coil-over shocks.

The black vinyl upholstery – embossed with the Marcos logo on the seat backs – is fresh; the wood dash is in decent condition; the carpets and headliner are new. Though the cabin is challenging to enter, once seated, it’s very comfortable. The seats are fixed; instead, the clutch and brake pedal are adjustable using a dial on the dash. Note the Perspex cover over the master cylinder.

The Webasto sunroof works well; rumor has it that Jem Marsh was very tall, so he wanted his cars equipped with sunroofs to ease entry into the cabin for tall people. The seller indicates he installed tubes on the wire wheels along with new tires. Yes, the rear wheel wells do look too large for their rubber – that might be the new suspension combined with tire/wheel size. The car has all-new seals, looking spiffy against the glass here. The original California title, two blue license plates, and the car’s factory jack accompany the sale. This unique British sports car has a lot going for it: performance, rarity, condition. But is it worth the price? Several examples have sold for more than $40k over the years, though lately, prices have fallen off. Nudging $50k is a bit aggressive, but I’d think the car could find a home if it were priced in the high thirties.