The early years
From Switzerland to Scotland
From 1936 to 1964
"Jo's passion for cars was all-consuming. He never doubted that he would forge his career designing them".
Jo as an apprentice at Sulzer in Winterthur
Josef Anton Marquart was born in 1936 in Winterthur, Switzerland. He attended school and Technical University ( Bsc in Engineering) in his home town and did an engineering apprenticeship as a machine designer in the nearby Sulzer Engineering Company (Gebrüder Sulzer AG). His first job was with Saurer Engineering in Switzerland. His father, also an Engineer, was in charge of public transport (Bus and Trams) in Winterthur and this was to prove provident in helping Jo to fulfill his childhood ambition to become involved in car design.
Through his business contacts, Josef senior helped to arrange a job with the Scottish Omnibus Company in Edinburgh. This brought Jo to the UK , the home of Motor Racing, although to begin with he had to be content with modifying buses. Luckily his boss at Scottish Omnibuses was also interested in Motor Racing.