1969 Borg-Warner / Marbon Formacar

During the 1960s and into the 1970s, Borg-Warner Chemical, a division of the multinational corporation Borg-Warner, endeavored to market various types of plastics. In pursuit of this goal, they established a subsidiary named "Marbon" to facilitate sales. Among Marbon's primary objectives was the promotion of a specific industrial plastic known as Cycolac to the US automotive industry. To achieve this, they utilized a series of small sports cars constructed on conventional automotive platforms, akin to kit cars but not intended for mass production or public consumption.

The initial iteration of these cars, collectively referred to as the CRV, was developed for SCCA competition and featured a VW drivetrain. Over time, improvements were made, resulting in cars with full interiors, windshields, and a Corvair drivetrain by the late 1960s. Despite these enhancements, the desired sales of plastic were not realized. In an effort 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, known for their plastic model kits. This vehicle, named the "AMT Pirhana," gained independent recognition.

Seeking an alternative approach to promote Cycolac without interference from kit car enthusiasts, Borg-Warner Chemical conceived the Formacar. This larger and more powerful vehicle, equipped with a front-mounted AMC V8 engine, surpassed the CRV series in performance. However, AMC expressed interest in purchasing the car itself rather than the plastic material. Regrettably, structural integrity issues emerged, 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 unveiled at various auto shows between 1969 and 1970. Fearing interference following AMC's announcement of its intention to acquire Jeep, Marbon swiftly withdrew the XJ-002 from consideration by AMC. Subsequently, Marbon ceased operations, while Cycolac found success in applications such as lawn chairs and outdoor equipment.