2000 Marcos Mantara LM600EVO

HTP

 

The Marcos name is derived from the names of Jem Marsh and Frank Costin who joined forces in 1959.  Costin, an aerospace engineer had developed experience in the application of plywood and fiberglass during his tenure with the De Havilland Aircraft Company.  It does not come as a surprise therefore that all early Marcos cars feature a very light yet stiff plywood chassis and superior aerodynamics. 

 

Through the sixties, seventies, eighties, and nineties Marcos competed at all levels of Motorsport with considerable success whereas the road car division took some twists and turns and had to be re-started twice.  

 

Cor Euser bought his first Marcos LM600 in 1995 and effectively took over the factory team under the name “Marcos Racing International”. He scored a string of successes until 1999 when the LM600 was in need of an upgrade to stay at the highest level. 

A breakthrough came when a Dutch Consortium around Euser and Eurotech Engineering owner / serial entrepreneur Wim Noorman acquired the racing side of the Marcos business. A significant investment was made and Designer Wiet Huidekoper (of Porsche GT1 fame) was commissioned to completely re-design the existing LM600, resulting in what is arguably one of the most spectacular looking GT cars ever.  The voluptuously curved LM600EVO packs a mid-mounted Chevy Pushrod LS6, a huge yet light aluminium torque tube, transaxle and a Hewland 6 speed transmission, all neatly arranged in an incredibly strong and stiff tubular chassis. 

 

4 cars were built by Eurotech and went on to successfully compete at all levels of global GT endurance racing. In 2000 alone the LM600EVO won several rounds of the FIA Euro GT as well as overall season championships by Cor Euser & Calumn Lockie in the British, and by Miguel Ángel de Castro & Balba Camino in the Spanish GT championships. 

In Spain the car quickly gained its nickname “La Bomba” which is still proudly displayed on the hood. 

 

The car on sale has always been owned and run by Cor Euser who when GT1 and GT2 racing stopped, kept campaigning the car in the Dutch Supercar Challenge. Following a minor crash at Zolder in 2012 Cor decided to retire the car.  

 

A few years ago, we convinced Cor to rebuild this spectacular car to its original glory. Early 2023 when the car was ready, Cor was invited to a demo during the Goodwood Members meeting where he received a special award from the Duke of Richmond for the “Best Soundtrack of the weekend”. 

This added with the great enthusiasm of the Goodwood audience motivated Cor to enter the car in the Masters Endurance Legends race at Zandvoort, taking two overall victories.

 

The car is completely race ready and will be a welcome guest in more Masters and/or Peter Auto endurance GT races.