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George Turner Models Mini Marcos - Le Mans 1966
#1

         

Master model-maker George Turner started working on his Mini Marcos back in February. The project has lain idle for a while, but the good news is that it's been back on George's bench. The model is going to be of the 1966 Le Mans car - a private entry by French rally driver and Mini dealer Jean-Louis Marnat, co-driven by Le Mans legend Claude Ballot-Léna in only his second start at La Sarthe. The Mini Marcos was the only British car to finish the race in 1966, albeit nearly a hundred laps behind the winning GT40. Forget Ford vs Ferrari, Jem Marsh and Frank Costin's little Mini-derived Marcos coupé is the star of this film...



Marnat prepared a Mk1 Mini Marcos for the race, replacing the standard 1275cc Mini Cooper S engine with a Group 2 spec unit prepared by the BMC competition department for the Monte Carlo Rally - tuned to produce 91 bhp and the capacity increased to 1287cc. Top gear gave the Marcos a top speed of just over 120 mph on the Mulsanne straight. To deal with the demands of 24 hours racing in June, an extra radiator was fitted across the front the car, hence the characteristic vent on the bonnet. The Marcos ran on 10" Minilites. A factory Mini Marcos was entered into the race for 1967 with a different front end shape - a car that George may also produce - but it retired after only 13 laps. That makes this 1966 version the most famous racing Mini Marcos - and there are plenty of replicas and original Mk1s out there paying homage to Marnat's blue and yellow car...



Any racing Marcos is fabulous to watch - I thoroughly enjoyed seeing that Marnat-tribute at Goodwood and there are others on the club scene, adding glamour and panache to the Classic Sports Car Club 'Swinging Sixties' series.

Watching a model take shape is also something rather special and George obliges on his Facebook page, website and various Facebook groups...

       

The Mini Marcos is particularly good to watch - as it's such a brilliant subject for a slot car...

       

The work on the shell is meticulous, but it has now reached the stage where running gear can be added...

       

...and we can start to imagine what a finished and decorated version of the 1966 Le Mans car will look like...

       

Keep an eye on George's website and Facebook page for more news. When the Marcos is ready to buy, I'll post details here.
[+] 7 members Like woodcote's post
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#2

Very nice article and videos! Thanks.
Carver
[+] 1 member Likes Carver's post
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