Concept Car Of The Day: 1969 Borg-Warner / Marbon Formacar - AllCarIndex
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Back in the 1960s and 1970s, Borg-Warner Chemical, a division of the multinational corporation Borg-Warner, was on a mission to market various types of plastics. To aid in this endeavor, they created a subsidiary called "Marbon" that focused on sales. One of Marbon's main goals was to promote an industrial plastic known as Cycolac to the US automotive industry. To achieve this, they decided to use a series of small sports cars that were built on conventional automotive platforms - similar to kit cars but not meant for mass production.
The first set of these cars, known collectively as the CRV, was designed for SCCA competition and featured a VW drivetrain. As time went on, enhancements were made, leading to cars with full interiors, windshields, and a Corvair drivetrain by the late 1960s. Unfortunately, they did not see the desired sales of the plastic material they were hoping for.
In an attempt to salvage the project, the rights to produce a limited number of marketable vehicles with the CRV Cycolac body were acquired by the AMT Corporation, a well-known producer of plastic model kits. This vehicle, dubbed the "AMT Pirhana," gained recognition on its own.
Looking for a new way to showcase Cycolac without interference from kit car enthusiasts, Borg-Warner Chemical came up with the Formacar. This larger and more powerful vehicle, equipped with a front-mounted AMC V8 engine, outperformed the CRV series. However, AMC showed interest in purchasing the car itself rather than the plastic material. Unfortunately, issues with the car's structural integrity arose, leading to the abandonment of the Formacar project.
Undeterred, Marbon continued its efforts to showcase Cycolac by collaborating with the Willys Group on a Jeep platform. The resulting concept, known as the Jeep XJ-002, was revealed at various auto shows between 1969 and 1970. When AMC announced its intention to acquire Jeep, Marbon quickly withdrew the XJ-002 from consideration by AMC. Eventually, Marbon ceased operations, but Cycolac found success in applications like lawn chairs and outdoor equipment.
