IT WASN'T SO much a question as a statement of fact. It was the summer of 2002, a period when the sun was setting on Jem Marsh's tenure at the helm of the marque he co-founded, and a brief test of the new Marcos TS250 Marcasite had proved enjoyable. On our return to the factory (a Nissen hut) in Westbury, Bradford-on-Avon, the lanky pensioner greeted our arrival with: 'I trust nothing fell off. He then scuttled off to deal with something more important. Marsh often had an adversarial relationship with the media and didn't exactly mask his distrust.
They don't make motor moguls like Marsh anymore. To be honest, they didn't make many like him way back when, either. He was defiantly self-directed and this was reflected in the cars he produced. By his own admission, Marsh was not an academic. He left school in 1946 and enlisted in the Royal Navy. Seven years later, he acquired a partially built Austin Seven 'special' and ventured trackside for the first time shortly thereafter. On returning to Civvy Street, he found gainful employment as a car salesmen, only soon to move into a different arena altogether. Marsh joined the European Motor Rodeo display team, adopting the pseudonym 'Rodeo Rod' for no other reason than it 'sounded more American.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October 2024-Ausgabe von Octane.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October 2024-Ausgabe von Octane.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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Jem Marsh
The hard-bitten Marcos boss was driven like few others and never knew when he was beaten. Thankfully
Vandamm House
A Mid-Century Modernist masterpiece that was immortalised on celluloid - despite never actually existing
Making light
Alfa Romeo's post-war renaissance began with the 1900 saloon - and matured with Zagato's featherweight coupé version, as Jay Harvey discovers
FULL OF EASTERN PROMISE
Is burgeoning classic car interest in the Middle East good for the global classic market? Nathan Chadwick investigates
Before the beginning
This rare Amazon Green pre-production Range Rover is Velar chassis number 4. James Elliott charts its historically revealing factory restoration
Ben Cussons
As the outgoing chairman of the Royal Automobile Club hands on to his successor, Robert Coucher quizzes him about the evolution of this great British institution
BULLDOG & THE PUPPIES
We gather five motoring masterpieces by avant-garde designer William Towns - and drive all of them
Below the tip of the Audrain iceberg
As the Audrain organisation grows, we take a look behind the scenes at the huge car collection that feeds it
Flying the Scottish flag
Young Ecurie Ecosse driver Chloe Grant gets to grips with the Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar C-type at Goodwood. Matthew Hayward is Octane's witness
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO
Audi Tradition has unveiled the Auto Union Type 52 Schnellsportwagen - only 90 years since it was designed. Glen Waddington takes an exclusive ride with Hans-Joachim Stuck