Over the years production of scale models of Marcii has greatly outnumbered the real thing.

In the 60s Corgi built 1800 Volvo, 1600 Ford and 3 litre Ford GT coupes as well as a Mantis 4 seater and, probably the most famous, the Mini Marcos, which had detatchable wheels.

In February 1966, Corgi released model no 324, a 1:44 scale Marcos - Volvo 1800 GT. Available in white with double green stripe or blue with white stripes, until 1969, a set of self adhesive racing numbers was also provided. The car had opening bonnet and doors, with a driver figure and sprung suspension and 'detailed' engined bay. Sales of this model exceeded 848,000!

Corgi Cars

Above : Corgi's blue 1800, yellow 3 litre V6 and white 1800

Model no 341 was the Mini Marcos 850 GT, released in March 1968. This was the first of Corgi's Golden Jacks models and also had opening doors and rear hatch. This was in production until 1970, but sold over 636,000. I always reckoned the Mini Marcos was a beautiful car until I saw one in the flesh, as the Corgi model has a grace and balance which the real thing sadly lacks - Perhaps Jem should've drafted in Corgi's draftsmen...

In June 1970, Corgi replaced the long replaced 1800GT with the new(ish) 3 litre V6. Equipped with the tarty, but very 70s, WHIZZWHEEL's, the car lacked opening doors, but still had a fairly well detailed engine bay and an enormous Marcos badge! Available in Yellow with Black centre stripe, metallic green or metallic white with grey roof and costing just 6/11 (around 35p by today's money), this model was available until 1972 and around 235,000 were sold.

Below : Maroon 'Golden Jacks' Mini Marcos, green 3 litre V6 and Mantis 2+2
Corgi Cars

The Marcos Mantis 2+2 was modeled as model no 312 in 1:43 scale in August 1971. It came in maroon (roughly the same colour as the Mini Marcos) and had opening doors and silver plated headlights. It remained in production until 1974 at which point around 199,000 had been sold. Unlike the Mini Marcos, the Corgi Mantis captured the real thing's lines well...

In 1972, just before Marcos folded, Corgi replaced there Mini Marcos with a 'WHIZWHEELS' version. This was white with red and blue racing stripes and racing numbers. Total sales were around 123,000.

Below : 2 Corgi Junior Mantis/XP racers surround a white Mini Marcos
Corgi Cars

The Mantis XP racer also got modeled as a Corgi 'Junior', later Growler and Whizwheel, but always the same basic model which is much smaller scale than the full size Marcos as you can see from the photos above.

As well as the Marcos products proper, Corgi also modelled the Adams' brothers Probe in various versions.

Below : 3 different Corgi Adams Probes - Left and Right - Whizzwheels 1/43rd scale - Centre - Junior 1/76 scale
Corgi Cars

Most of the information is lifted from various CMI magazines.


These days there are a number of Marcos models available. There are a number of horribly expensive, but beautifully detailed 1/43 scale kits.

Western Models produce a 1:43 LM500 in the Computacenter colours of 1994 and Provence Moulage model the LM600 in that scale as a 1995 Le Mans car, 1996 Le Mans car or as a road car.

Mikansue models also make (or made) a model of the Xylon as a replica of Jackie Stewart's race car.

If you're interested in models of Marcos cars, but disuaded by the high price of the tiny 1/43rd scale models, then have a look around for Fly's LM600s.

Fly's 2 LM600s - photo from Millenium Motorsport

The first released were a pair, one in the livery of the 1995 works Le Mans cars and the other liveried as Cor Euser's FIA GT car. The scale is 1/32, the price around £26 and the detail is excellent. What's even more remarkable is that these are slot racing cars, compatible with Scalextric. - Thanks to Jem Marsh (who has these for sale, along with Marcos regalia), who kindly presented me with the Euser car (especially well received as I'd already bought the Computacenter car!).

Fly sponsored LM600

There are now many other versions of the LM600 including ones in Millenium and NCK Azlan racing colours, as seen in the BRDC and FIA GT series in 1997, one in the Fly colours (pretty much the multicoloured pattern seen over the last two years) and a new (and very costly) special edition one based on the Spanish championship, Sharp backed entry.

As things stand at the end of 2002, the Fly Marcos range is as follows :

Model No Description Colour My Realism rating (Of 5)
A21 Le Mans 1996 - Eurotech Car Yellow ***
A22 Le Mans 1995 - Works Computacenter Car No 70 Blue/Silver ***
A23 Brands 1997 - Lucent backed Car White ***
A24 Donnington 1997 - Ultrafilter backed Car Yellow/Blue ***
A25 Spa 1997 - NCK Azlan race winning car Yellow ***
A26 Le Mans 1995 - Works Computacenter Car No 71 More detailed than A22 Blue/Silver *****
A27 Jarama 4 Hours 1998 - Fly backed car - in special presentation box Multi-Coloured ****
A28 Spanish Champions 2001 - Repsol backed car - in special presentation box White/Multicoloured ****
A29 Belcar 2000 Black/Silver/Red ****
A361 Belcar 2001 Black/Silver/Yellow ****
PA1 Spanish GT Championship 2001 - Sharp backed car - Ltd edition in special presentation box White ****
E21 UK Special edition - Not a replica of a racer Maroon
E22 Spanish Special edition - Not a replica of a racer 'Gold' plated
E23 Belgian Special edition - Not a replica of a racer Metallic Green
E24 Spanish Special edition - Not a replica of a racer Chrome plated
E25 Mantara Challenge Special edition - Not a replica of a racer Red
E26A Autosport Show Special edition #10 - Not a replica of a racer Red/White Roof
E26B Autosport Show Special edition #33 - Not a replica of a racer Red/White Roof
E28 Barcelona FC Special edition - Not a replica of a racer Blue/Red
E29 German Special edition - Not a replica of a racer Orange/Black
E221 Quick Flame Special edition - Not a replica of a racer Black/Red
E222 S.Oliver Special edition - Not a replica of a racer Black/Blue
LM01 Le Mans 3 Test Car set - includes 1996 Computacenter LM600 Yellow/Blue
A362 FIA GT 2002 Spa Red ****
A363 Belcar/Euro GT 2003 Orange/Black ****
E363 EXPOCOMIC Ltd edition - Not a replica of a racer Beige (Pink?) with graphics
A364 BGT Championship 2002 - TFM GT Car White/Yellow ****
A365 Spanish GT Repsol X-Box Metallic Black ****
A2001 10th Anniversary Special re-issue of A22 LeMans 95 Blue/Silver with special 10th anniversary logos. *** (if you ignore the Fly logos)
88241 Zolder 24 Hour Eurotech car Yellow/Black ****
EP0015 LM Spanish hampionship GT2002 Ni Amorin - Tomas Saldaña White - Kit, requires some assembly ****

Note that most of these cars are no longer available and some have become quite valuable as collectors items.

Possibly the smallest Marcos model has come to light courtesy of Barbara Donovan. She writes :

I am mailing you a couple of pictures of my Marcos models. These are
1/130th scale and hand produced in Japan. I have them in a wide range of
colours. The retail price of these is £5.99.
1/130th Scale Mini Marcos
I have the sole rights for worldwide distributorship outside Japan which
keeps me very busy. Model Planning also make over 20 different Mini models
in 1/130th scale and 1/150th scale.

Bruce Paterson of Patto's Place produces some excellent slot car shells. Moulded in clear plastic they need a bit of care painting, but are excellent value and well made. Cost (including airmail from Australia) is very reasonable.

Mantis and 1800 during painting

Mantis XP on track.

I'm no expert, but they look pretty good to me. Contact Bruce if you're interesed. Tell him you heard of him through me, if you do.

More recently, the Taylors Foundry, who have been running the LM600s in the 2002 BRDC GT series, have produced a couple of limited edition castings. One comes in Brass (very heavy) and one in light alloy (the silver one). The overall proportions and shape of the car are very good (although it has no rear wing).

Cast models from Taylors Foundry
The Brass and Alloy cast replicas from Taylors Foundry - photo courtesy Gary Harman

I wandered into a local Poundshop and there, amongst the toys, was this!

An LM500 - Lego figures extra!

OK, it's not exactly an AutoArt model, but it was cheap and is the only scale model I've ever seen of an LM500, other than the rare 1/43rd scale kits. For information, it's about 8" long (A bit smaller than a 1/18th scale) and features a string powered motor!

If you fancy one, check eBay as I got hold of a few from another shop and am selling them there.

Christian Fey, from Germany, pointed me in the direction of Lion Models. - http://www.lion-models.de/elionm42.htm - who make 1/87 scale models of cars, including a Marcos Mantula 3,5 ltr.V8.

During 2006, Spark released a number of 1/43rd scale resin LM600s.

The initial release was the two 1995, Comptuacenter backed works LM600s that raced at Le Mans (Call me biased, but this is one of my favourite liveries on any race cars in recent years).

Spark LM600s

Later in 2006, they released Cor Euser's 1996 car

Gary Harman photographed these for me and wrote:

The cars are about 9cm long.

The blue & silver cars are from LM 95 with the No 70 car driven by C Euser, T Erdos and C Hodgetts Spark No S0781. The 71 car driven by F Migault, C Marsh and D Leslie Spark No S0781.

1996 LM600 from Spark

The Yellow car was released last week (November 2006) and is the LM 600 No 81 from Le Mans 96 driven by C Euser, T Erdos and P Dro (who ever he is!) Spark No S0783.

Due for release next is Cor's Multi Coloured LM.

Special thanks to Jeremy Neads (who some of you may remember from early MOC days, as he tells me he was quite involved, even designing some of the early magazine binders), who phoned me out of the blue to say a box of Corgi Marcoses was on its way to join my collection!

Here are my new additions (4 1800s and a very smart Mini Marcos) I also have a recently acquired brass Taylor's Foundry LM600 to go with the ally one, but many thanks again, Jeremy, for your generous gift.

Spark also added a 1998 style Rainbow, Cor Euser/MRI car and a road going LM600 to their range of 1:43 scale cars in late 2007.

1998 LM600 from Spark

1995 LM600 road car from Spark

Martin Jensen Carretero from Denmark sent me the following image of a tin 'Marcos', marked Made In Japan.

Tin 'Marcos' models - Made in Japan?

Looking at the picture, I'm not 100% sure it's supposed to be a Marcos, although the overall shape and Kamm tail are fairly Marcos like.

Unfortunately, nothing else is known about them, so if you can shed anymore light, let me know!

I purchased a Corgi Mantis from eBay as it's the only Corgi Marcos I've never owned.

My Corgi Mantis from eBay

It had been restored and painted in a non original Gold, but I think it looks pretty good in this colour and being a Marcos fan, rather than a Corgi collector, the non-originality doesn't bother me at all.

At a recent Marcos TVG meeting, Marcus Barr proudly displayed his recent eBay purchase.

It's a Mantis cast by the Eurotech company and looks around 1/12th - 1/10th scale.

I believe it was made for a Marcos Owner's visit as a memento and features freely rotating wheels on axles. The rear wing is an alloy plate rivetted (or maybe screwed) to the body.

Marcus' Eurotech Mantis casting
Eurotech Mantis casting and pint of beer - Photo by Gary Harman

The windscreen is too upright, but otherwise it's a smart (if a little roughly cast) piece and certainly has a rarity value to Marcos fans.

I believe they also made a run of LM600s, but I've never seen one of those personally.

At the 2009 Rally, there were some great ceramic Marcos models on sale.

Produced under the name Ceramarcos, they came in a variety of colours (Greens, blues, reds).


I picked this one as being closest to the green of my car.

The shape of the 1969 on V6 is well represented, if not 100% right. You wouldn't mistake it for anything but a Marcos.




Ceramarcos make other cars, too, and their details (flowerpots@btinternet.com and 01752 705268) are shown above, although I couldn't find a website.

In late 2011, I heard about a scale model Carbon Fibre Marcos Mantis from Gary Harman.

CF Mantis

I don't know much about it (scale,if it's real CF, etc), but I do know it was sold for €125 plus postage and available through the German Owners Club.

If I get more information I will post it.

Finally, Dave McGill's excellent, and extensive, site concentrates on scale models of Marcos cars - some great photos (much better than these!) and detailed information here.

Check on the Links page for details of online companies who I've bought slot cars from without problem.