Marcos Mini GT
The Marcos Mini GT was the racing version of the Marcos Mini , also Mini Marcos , a sports car that was built from 1965 to 1970 in limited edition by Marcos in Great Britain. Between 1974 and 1981 the vehicle was produced under license by the British body manufacturer D & H Fiberglass Techniques, before Marcos took over production again in 1991 and delivered the car until 1996.
The car had an eventful development history. The concept for a compact coupé on the platform of the Mini was originally developed by the British vehicle designer Dizzy Addicott and passed through several hands before it ended up with Jem Marsh , the co-owner of the Marcos automobile brand. At Marcos, their mini was produced as a kit car and got a body made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic .
In 1966, the French racing driver and car dealer Jean-Louis Marnat asked Jem Marsh directly whether there was a way to prepare a Marcos Mini for the Le Mans 24-hour race . Marsh had little interest in the idea at first. The British trader Bill Dulles, who exported minis to France, had designed it. After a few negotiations with Marnat, he was able to convince Marsh of the seriousness of the project. Since the Marcos Mini was a kit car and could therefore be assembled in France, and Marcos would never have received an invitation to the 24-hour race in the normal way, Marsh finally agreed. The deal also included the distribution of Marcos vehicles through Dulles in France.
Thanks to Dulles' good contacts, the car received a new BMC 1.3 liter 4 cylinder engine. Marnat registered his compatriot Claude Ballot-Léna as second pilots, as well as Jean-Pierre Jabouille and René Trautmann as substitute drivers. The ACO accepted the report and after 24 hours of racing time, little Marcos was the only British vehicle to cross the finish line and finished 15th overall.
It was also the first finish for a Mini GT in a sports car race. Marnat had been at the start as a test for Le Mans together with Jean-Pierre Jabouille at the 1000 km race in Monza , but could not classify there.
Spurred on by the success of Marnat, Mini GTs appeared repeatedly in international sports car races over the next few years. In 1967 Guy Edwards and Peter Anslow drove a Mini GT to 23rd place in the overall standings in the 1000 km race at the Nürburgring . This placed them five places behind the works Mini GT, which crossed the finish line in 18th. At the endurance race in Le Mans , the factory Mini retired with a gearbox damage. The best place for a Mini GT was Jim Marsh's ninth place overall at the 1967 Coppa Cittá di Enna .
