By Dean Larson

Photos: Seller, BringaTrailer.com

All too often project cars needing considerable work end up languishing around, passing from owner to owner and not getting the attention they deserve. With a couple classic Ford pickups and a decrepit ’66 Dodge Charger in my backyard, I’m definitely guilty myself. But it’s nice sometimes to see a car rise from the ashes, and this 1968 Marcos 1600 GT is quite possibly one of the most inspiring success stories we’ve seen recently.

By now you’ll recognize the Marcos as the car with the famous plywood chassis, and that’s no joke. Obviously some steel is required up front for supporting the engine and front suspension, but from the footboxes back, this baby sports a wooden monocoque chassis. But fear not, as it’s actually a pretty strong setup made with over 400 pieces of marine-grade plywood, and you don’t complain about riding in wooden boats do you? With a curb weight around 1,800 pounds, the Marcos is lightweight and quick, and the cars can be found regularly at vintage racing events the world over.

As can be seen, this is a pretty stellar example of the Marcos 1600 GT, boasting a 1,700 cc Ford Kent crossflow four-cylinder, bright orange paintwork and a recent thorough restoration. But as I’ve alluded to, this Marcos has recently undergone a complete transformation, requiring a complete new chassis and fiberglass body straight from Marcos. Interested parties can see the “before” photos easily, as the car was actually sold on here BringaTrailer back in 2018 before being treated to a comprehensive restoration.

Finished in Lotus orange with 13 x 7-inch Minilite-style wheels, the exterior of the Marcos makes a strong statement. The car is so low and sleek, and reflects so many great styling cues of the late 1960s. But as impressive as the exterior is, the interior makes an even stronger statement.

The cabin of the Marcos is finished to a very high degree, with black Porsche leather with black grommets. Restomod Air, power windows, adjustable pedals and a full compliment of Smiths gauges give the interior a neo-retro theme, and we wouldn’t hesitate to say that this is probably the nicest interior in any Marcos anywhere.

The car is similarly well sorted under the hood and on the chassis, all of which bears high-quality finishes. The 1,700 cc Ford Kent crossflow engine has been worked over extensively with modified internals and new Weber sidedraft carburetors.

High-caliber Marcos GTs have sold in the neighborhood of $50,000, while projects can trade hands for $15,000 or less. In fact, this exact Marcos sold back in 2018 for just $4,999, a bargain by my definition, but I’m sure there was a sizable investment to bring the car to its current condition. Sitting at $34,000 with two days left in the auction, we wouldn’t be surprised to see this one come close to top dollar.

See the Marcos 1600 here on BringaTrailer.com.