Marcos Mantis XP 1968

When the Marcos Mantis XP debuted in the 1968 Spa 24 Hours race in Belgium it must have been like the Batmobile showing up. With the more normal and curvy looking Fords, Porsches and Ferraris of the late 60s this very angular racer represented the hopes of a very small British manufacturer who was fighting for a place in the performance car market.  The Mantis XP DNFd the Spa race due to electrical problems, and has been mothballed ever since then until its recent resurrection by a careful restoration in California.  The 1968 Marcos Mantis XP is literally a one-of-a-kind, not only as far as how many were made, but also in terms of its looks which even nowadays is unique...let alone in 1968!

Some would say the late 1960s represented a high water mark in the automotive world. This was the era of the Ford GT40, Ferrari Dino, Lamborghini Miura, and many other cars whos curves still fascinate today, not to mention all the extremely futuristic prototypes of the era. The Marcos Mantis XP simply brought its futuristic design to the world championship racing circuit.  It was powered by a mid-mounted BRM-Repco V8 Formula 1 engine, whose cylinders rose into the clear-covered engine compartment in the rear of the vehicle.  This engine gave it a pace which was enough to compete with the world’s top race cars until the electrical problems which sidelined it at the Spa 1000km.

thankfully even though Marcos is no longer in business, the Marcos Mantis XP is seeing new life on the vintage exhibition circuit giving everyone a look at what the future might have looked like circa 1968.