1968 Marcos 1600 GT
Frank Costin applied lessons from his work on the de Havilland Mosquito bomber when engineering this lightweight British sports car. The distinctive laminated plywood monocoque comprised 386 bonded pieces forming a rigid three‑dimensional structure, paired with a hand‑laid fiberglass body that kept weight to around 1,631 pounds.
Costin’s aerodynamic expertise created a dramatically low profile measuring just over 43 inches in height, with a long nose, set‑back cockpit, and sharply tapered tail.
The Ford Kent 97.6 CI “Crossflow” four‑cylinder produced roughly 100 horsepower through a four‑speed manual transmission, delivering brisk acceleration and top speeds approaching 115 mph.
Independent front suspension with wishbones and coil springs provided sharp handling characteristics, while front disc brakes offered dependable stopping power.
Marcos produced 192 examples between late 1967 and early 1969, making this the company’s most popular plywood‑chassis variant before steel chassis construction replaced the wooden design. The combination of minimal weight, torsional rigidity, and responsive steering made the 1600 GT particularly well‑suited to British club racing competition.
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