1984 Marcos Mantula V8 - LHD

The Marcos Mantula sports car was built from 1984 through 1993, making it the latest Marcos model to be eligible for import to the USA. It is also the first Marcos to be powered by a V8, in this case an alloy Rover 3.5 litre unit, mated to a 5-speed gearbox. A convertible variant called the Spider was introduced in 1986. This car, a 1984, is located in Holland and was converted to LHD by a Dutch Triumph and Marcos specialist. It's available for EUR 22,500 (about 33 grand at today's dismal exchange rate). The seller's reason for selling: the car is 42 inches tall, and he can't fit.

Marcos cars have a very distinct look, which I think is a bit like a Corvette melded with a Morgan, especially from the rear and side. The front view of the car is very sporty and modern, in a retro sort of way. This car looks like it may have some add-ons, like a front spoiler and body colored headlight housings, which sort of detract from the classic look of the Marcos. The ad only includes the one photo above, so the rest of these come from Motorbase and are of similar cars.

The Marcos company has gone through a series of bankrupcies and rebirths, sold cars as kits and turnkey, and been produced and sold in a variety of different countries. It's primarily been a British company, though, and has competed in all sorts of races. It's styling is distinctive and clever. It's presence is also rarely seen in the USA. This may be due to the two wacky-looking predecessors to this car, the Mini Marcos (based on a Mini) and the Mantis, which has a kind of Meyers Manx SR-look without the cool. But this car revived the good looks of the '64 Marcos 1800, and set the bar high for future Marcos models like the Mantaray.

Find the listing here on Car and Classic UK for EUR 22,500 or trade. I found the ad via Post War Classics.