In 1942, the world's first plastic car was created. As ideally, Henry Ford, this car should have become easier and cheaper than the machine with a metal case. Due to objective reasons, such cars did not become popular, but it does not prevent auto manufacturers to represent the concepts of plastic. And in today's review we will show you the eight of the most interesting cars from plastic.

(8 photos of cars from plastic)

The world's first plastic car - Soybean Car.

During the Second World War, a huge part of the metal produced in the world went to military needs. This served as the root cause of the first car from plastic - Soybean Car. Naturally, most of the parts of this car were created from the metal, but the device included mostly elements from bioplastic, which reduced the weight of the car four times.

The first plastic car released serial - Chevrolet Corvette (C1)

In 1953, the first car was released from plastic - Chevrolet Corvette. The basis of this car was metal, and the body part of the fiberglass. A total of 300 copies of such a car were created.

The first in the history of Russia plastic car - Hadi-2

In 1961, the car of the road institute of the city of Kharkov was invented by a plastic car, which received the experimental name Hadi-2. The entire car was approximately 500 kg.

The most famous plastic car in the world is Trabant.

This car was created in the GDR. Due to the small size and constant breakdowns, this car is German connoisseurs who knew a lot in good cars, simply ridiculed. Trabant cars were released about three million.

Dignity of the Chemical Industry of Germany - Bayer K67

In 1967, a car was submitted to the public created by BMW and Chemical Firm Bayer. At the demonstration show, K67 crashed into the wall several times, and its frame remained without visible damage.

Russian car from plastic - E-Mobile

Domestic auto industry does not lag behind in creating a car from plastic. Already began the mass creation of a plastic car with a cheerful name of E-Mobile. The case of this machine is made of polypropylene and plastic, with some details can be changed, for example, when an accident or just when it wants.

Plastic cars from the children's designer LEGO

Many jokers, expressing criticism against plastic cars, call them toy and say that such means of movement can generally be collected from the LEGO designer. Despite the smiles, two young engineers, one of which is a leaving of Romania, and another Australia, together created a full-size machine from half a million parts of the LEGO constructor. It is noteworthy that instead of the engine on this Lego-car installed a pneumatic motor.

January 13, 1942 The first in the world appeared plastic car. Henry Ford received an official patent for his invention, which, according to the author's idea, should have become easier and cheaper with a metal case. Due to many objective causes, such cars have not yet gained popularity. However, this does not interfere with manufacturers from time to time to represent concepts, and even trial lots of products from this unusual material. And in our today's review will be discussed about the top ten most interesting and iconic cars from plastic.

During World War II, most of the metal produced in the world walked to military needs. This fact has become one of the main reasons for the appearance of Soybean Car - the world's first plastic car. Of course, most of the details of this car were made of metal, but the design also included fourteen elements from bioplastic, which made it possible to reduce the weight of the car by almost a quarter.

And the first plastic car running into mass production was Chevrolet Corvette 1953 release. The frame of this car was made of metal, and the body - from the fiberglass stacked popularity in those years. A total of 300 copies of this car, which served as the progenitor of one of the most popular sports cars in the world.

Experiments with fiberglass bodies occurred in those days and in the Soviet Union. For example, in 1961, the students of the Kharkov Road Institute created the HATI-2 experimental car, which became the first domestic plastic car. The weight of the car was only 500 kilograms.

TRABANT is not just a car, this is a symbol of a country that has been released, the German Democratic Republic. Due to the simplicity of the design, small size and constant breakdowns, the car has become an object of universal ridicule. Especially Germans, who always knew a lot about good cars, had a plastic disbanta housing (wings, bumper and part of body panels). In total, under this brand more than three million cars were released.

The K67 car, created jointly by the BMW concern and the Chemical Giant Bayer, was first shown to the public in Düsseldorf in 1967. But it happened not on the car dealership, but at the exhibition of the chemical industry. After all, Bayer wanted to boast of their achievements in plastics production technologies. As a demonstration, this car with a plastic body crashed several times into the wall, while not affected.

Plastic car Urbee Hybrid was also created to demonstrate the development of modern technologies. This car has become the first car, most of the parts of which (including the body) was printed on a 3D printer.

The BMW I3 car, which will go into mass production in 2014, will become not only the first premium-class serial electric car, but also a machine in which a significant part of the body parts will be made of plastic reinforced with carbon fiber. Creators of the car expect that in the future this technology will gain huge popularity around the world. After all, such a body is lighter than fully metallic, and even immune to small mechanical damage.

As mentioned above, the first serial plastic car was the Sporter Chevrolet Corvette. Alfa Romeo continues these glorious traditions. She released a sports car Alfa Romeo 4c with a fully carbonted body. Weighs this element of the design of only 63 kilograms, and the car is generally 895 kg.

Also not let back in the creation of plastic cars. Already on the approach, the beginning of the mass production of the "folk car" with a ridiculous name of E-Mobile. Its case will be made of plastic and polypropylene. Some panels will be replaceable. So the owners will be able to change them after major accidents or simply, if desired, change the color of their car.

Some dick, criticizing plastic cars, call them toy and joke that such vehicles can generally be collected from LEGO. As if mocking them, two young engineers, Australian and Romanians, together created a full-size car from more than half a million design elements. Interestingly, instead of an internal combustion engine on this lego mobile.

Not everyone can change cars every few years, but how to buy a car that stands on the street does not degrees, knows even fewer people. Therefore, if you decide to save money to buy a car, then you should learn in advance about what kind of cars with galvanized body are found. By purchasing such a car in advance, you will protect yourself from the destruction of the car body. Even after 5-10 years, there will be minimal problems with this.

Now consider which there are ways of factory bodging body:

• Hot. It is considered the best type of galvanizing. The best corrosion resistance of any car model is ensured.
• Galvanic. Refer to good types of galvanized. The body is well located soil and paint after such processing.
• Zincometal. This method provides mediocre anti-corrosion properties.
• Cold galvanizing. Some models of machines are covered in this way. He is cheap, weakly opposed corrosion.

When deep scratches appear on the body, the zinc suffers primarily, the metal does not rust. This is the main advantage of the car under consideration.

Choosing a car at the car dealership

When you watch different brands of cars, wandering on car dealerships, then find out, galvanized body or nget, you can right on the spot. Look into the technical documentation of a specific model if the term "complete galvanizing" is specified, then only in this case the entire body is covered with zinc and is protected from corrosion. Consider what other ways are treating:

• Partial. Processing of welds and vulnerable beds (bottom, thresholds, doors).
• Processing nodal connections. Zinc is covered only the places of stamping, fasteners, welds between the body sections.

Also consider that regardless of the car model you choose, when you buy a galvanized body must be a warranty card. Almost all manufacturers, even Chinese, give a guarantee on galvanized car body, and quite large. This document gives the right to present complaints to the dealer, in case the machine starts rust during the warranty period.

Models of cars with galvanized body

Now consider specific stamps and models of cars with galvanized bodies. The list will be quite extensive, so we classify the machines as well as the method of applying anticorrosive material.

Hot otsinkovka method

For the first time this method was used in the distant past by Volkswagen, they also use it to this day. In addition to VW, the body is still treated with Audi, Porsche, Volvo, as well as the mass of other automakers. Given the cost of processing the car in such a way, you need to remind you that it is exposed to a fairly expensive model of premium and business class. List of car brands, in the model range of which there are models with a fully galvanized body along the hot method:

• Porsche (the first of the models with such a body is the famous Porsche 911).
• Audi
• Volvo.
• Ford.
• Chevrolet (Lacetti).
• Opel (Astra and Vectra).

The first serial car with a fully galvanized body was the famous Audi 80. After her, most of the cars of this company walked with a mandatory anti-corrosion coating. Depending on the brand, the coating could have a thickness of 2 to 10 microns.

Galvanic processing method

Galvanic body treatment with zinc differs from the previous method less cost. More often such a method is found in American and Japanese cars, a little less frequently in European. Due to the reduction in the cost of processing, the reliability of such treatment has significantly decreased. The coating did not give 100% protection warranty. European manufacturers decided to go to their own way using the new technology developed. List of technological operations that conduct BMW and Mercedes concerns:

List of cars

Now consider which machines are covered by a classic electroplating method:

• Alfa Romeo.
• Mitsubishi.
• Skoda (Octavia, Fabia).
• Toyota.
• Honda (Legend).
• Lexus.
• Renault (Logan).
• Peugeot.
• Chrysler (model 300).
• Cadillac.

Special attention deserves models of cars from Toyota. Since previously the company paid little attention to anti-corrosion processing, now the zinc layer in the nodal connections, thresholds and doors is present in most machines.

Cars of domestic production

In terms of domestic automotive, everything is somewhat simpler. If galvanized cars and were produced, they made them of leaf outbound steel. At this time, at the factories, AvtoVAZ Body is made from the steel of local production. Body elements are subject to cold galvanizing and then used in the assembly of the machine.

Also used cataphoresis method

For example, in delighting into technical documentation, it can be found that the VAZ 2110 car has 47 galvanized parts that make up 50% of the weight of the machine. Given this, we can say that the most vulnerable parts are processed here. This includes thresholds, floor inside and bottom outside, front panel, wings and bottom doors. This processing allows you to slightly extend the service life of cars.

Cars manufactured at the IL plant, and the products of the Ulyanovsk automotive factory can also boast of cold galvanizing body elements. High passability cars UAZ after such processing serve longer. Similar vehicles produced earlier, do not boast of durability, which have modern versions of cars with a galvanized body.

And the use of aluminum in the production of body seems so seductive and new technology, which is forgotten that it comes from the first half of the twentieth century. As a constructive material for a car, it was tried immediately as soon as they began to refuse wood and skin, and it was with the tree that it turned out to be so well compatible that there is still such technology on Morgan cars. Here are just the majority of companies that have managed to make many cars with wide use of aluminum parts in the thirties, in the future, they refused. And the reason was not only the deficit of this material during the years of World War II. The plans of fiction-futurists about the widespread use of aluminum in the design of the cars were not destined to come true. In any case, until now, when something has become changing.

Aluminum in metallic form is known not so long ago, he was taken out only at the end of the XIX century, and he immediately became valued very high. And not at all because of its rarity, simply before opening the electrolytic recovery method, production was affected by the most expensive, aluminum was more precious than gold and platinum. No wonder the scales donated by Mendeleev after the opening of the periodic law, contained a lot of aluminum details, at that time it was a truly royal gift. From 1855 to 1890, only 200 tons of material according to the Method of Anri Etienne Saint-Clair Deville, which consists in displacement of aluminum metal sodium.

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Already by 1890, the price fell 30 times, and by the beginning of the First World War - more than a hundred. And after the thirties, there constantly retained an exemplary parity with prices for steel rental, being more expensive 3-4 times. The shortage of certain materials periodically changed this ratio for a short time, but nonetheless on average ton of aluminum always costs a minimum three times more expensive steel.

The "winged" aluminum is called a combination of small mass, strength and accessibility. This metal is noticeably easier than steel, a cubic meter accounts for about 2,700 kg against 7,800 kg for typical varieties of steel. But the strength is lower, for common steel and aluminum varieties, the difference is about one and a half or twice that by yield, which is in stretching. If specific figures, then the strength of aluminum alloy AMG3 - 120/230 MPa, low carbon steel grade 2C10 - 175/315, but the high-strength steel HC260BD is already 240/450 MPa.

As a result, aluminum designs have every chance of being noticeably easier, at least one third, but in some cases, the superiority in the mass of parts may be larger, because aluminum parts have higher rigidity and noticeably more technologically in manufacturing. For aviation, this is a day gift, because more durable titanium alloys are much more expensive, and mass production is simply not available, and magnesium alloys are distinguished by high corrosive activity and increased fire hazard.

Practice of use on earth

In the mass consciousness, aluminum body is mainly associated with the Audi brand machines, although the first in the body D2 appeared only in 1994. It was one of the first large-scale alluminous machines, although the fair-made fraction of the winged metal was a branded "chip" of such brands, like Land Rover and Aston Martin for decades, not to mention the Morgan already mentioned, with its aluminum on a wooden frame. Yet advertising creates wonders.

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First of all, a low mass and resistance of aluminum bodies to corrosion emphasens in the new body manufacturing. Other advantages of aluminum structures were also mentioned: for example, special acoustic properties of the body and the passive safety of structures from volumetric stamping and casting.

List of machines in which aluminum parts are at least 60% of the body weight (not to be confused with a full mass of the machine), quite large. First of all, the models of Audi, A2, A8, R8 and related R8 Lamborghini Gallardo are known. Less obvious Ferrari F430, F360, 612, the latest generations Jaguar XJ X350-X351, XJR, XF, XE and F-PACE. The connoisseurs of real sports machines will recall Lotus ELise, as well as Common Opel Speedster and Tesla Roadster. Especially meticulous readers will remember Honda NSX, Spyker and even Mercedes SLS.

In the photo: Aluminum spatial frame Audi A2

Often erroneously in the number of aluminum include modern Land Rover, Range Rover, BMW last episodes and some other premium models, but there the total share of aluminum parts is not so great, and the body frame is still from steels - ordinary and high strength. Alluluminum machines are a bit, and most of them are relatively minor constructions.

But how so? Why, with all their advantages, aluminum is not used as widely as possible in the structure of the body?

It would seem that you can win on the mass, and the difference in the price of materials is not so critical against the background of other components of the cost of an expensive car. Ton of "winged" costs now 1,600 dollars - it's not so much, especially for a premium car. Everything has explanations. True, to understand the issue again will have to go deep into the past.

How Aluminum lost plastic and steel

The eighties of the twentieth century will enter the history of the automotive industry as time when the main brands in the world market have been formed and the balance of power has been created that has changed little to this day. Since then, Chinese companies have added the automotive market since then, as the rest of the way, the main trends, classes and trends in the automotive industry appeared. At the same time, there was a fracture in the use of alternative materials in the design of the machine, in addition to steel and cast iron.

Thank you for it worth the exemplary expectations on part of the durability of cars, new standards for fuel consumption and passive safety. Well, traditionally, the development of technologies that all this allowed. Robust attempts to use aluminum in nodes responsible for passive safety, they quickly ended with the introduction of only the simplest elements in the form of bars for fermentable zones and decorative elements, which in the total mass of the body accounted for several percent.

But the battle for the design of the body itself was hopelessly played at that time. The victory definitely won manufacturers of plastic. Simple technology for making large parts made of plastic changed the design of cars in the eighties. Europeans were surprised by the technological and "promotion" of Ford Sierra and VW Passat B3 with their developed plastic body kit. Forms and materials of radiator lattices, bumpers and other elements with time began to correspond to plastic parts - something similar is simply unthinkable made of steel or aluminum.

In the meantime, the design of the car body remains traditionally steel. The task of increasing body strength and reducing the mass was carried out by the transition to wider use of high strength steels, their mass in the body continuously increased, from a few percent at the end of the seventies and confident 20-40% to the middle of the nineties from the advanced designs of European brands and 10- 15% from American cars.

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Corrosion problems solved the transition to galvanized rental and new coloring technologies, which allowed to increase the warranty period for the body up to 6-10 years. Aluminum also remained not from affairs, its content in the mass of the car even decreased compared to the 60s - played the role of the oil crisis, when energy was more expensive, and it means the metal itself. Where possible, he was replaced by plastic, and where the plastic was not suitable - steel again.

Aluminum causes back

Having lost the battle for the exterior, after a decade, Aluminum won his under the hood. In the 90s and 2000s, manufacturers massively moved to aluminum gearboxes and cylinder blocks, and then the pendant parts. But that was only the beginning.

The fall in prices for aluminum in the nineties successfully coincided with the tightening of the requirements for the economy and environmental friendliness of machines. In addition to the already mentioned large nodes, aluminum was written in a variety of parts and aggregates of the machine, especially related to passive safety - steering brackets, amplifier beams, supports of motors ... His natural fragility, and a wide range of viscosity changes, and low mass .

Next - more, aluminum began to appear in the body design. About alluminous audi A8 I, but also on simpler machines began to appear outer metal panels. First of all, these are hinged panels, hood, front wings and doors on cars premium brands. Frames, mudguards and even amplifiers became alloyed. On modern BMW and Audi in the front of the bodies, almost one aluminum and plastic remained. The only one, where the positions began to be unshakable - these are power structures.

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About minuses and corrosion

Aluminum is always difficulty with welding and fasteners. Only rivets, bolts and gluing are suitable for connecting with steel elements, for connecting to other aluminum parts - more welding and screws. Few examples of structures using alloy bearing elements showed themselves very capricious in operation and canceled uncomfortable in recovery.

Thus, aluminum cup of front suspension on BMW machines and spars still have difficulties with electrochemical corrosion in joints and problems with the restoration of connections after body damage.

As for the corrosion of aluminum, it is even more complicated to fight it than with corrosion of steel. With higher chemical activity, its oxidation resistance is explained in the main formation of the protective film of oxides on the surface. And this method of self-defense in conditions of combining parts from a heap of different alloys was useless.

Difficulties with steel that can change everything

So far, aluminum captured new territories, the technology of steel rolled production did not stand still. The cost of high-strength steels declined, mass steel stamping has appeared, anti-corrosion protection, even with slippers, also improved.

But aluminum still comes, and the reasons for this are understandable to everyone who is familiar with the process of stamping and welding steel parts. Yes, more durable steel allow you to facilitate the body of the car and make it stronger and tougher. The reverse side of the medal is to increase the cost of steel, an increase in the price of stamping, the rise in the price of welding and complexity with the repair of damaged parts. Nothing reminds? For sure, these are the very problems that are characteristic of aluminum structures from birth. Only high-strength steel and traditional "iron" difficulties with corrosion do not disappear.

But it is impossible to say about high-strength steel. The package of expensive alloying additives during recycling is inevitably lost. Moreover, it pollutes secondary raw materials and requires additional costs of cleaning it. The price of simple steel grades and high strength varies at times, and when the iron is reused, the whole difference will be lost.

What's next?

Apparently, we are waiting for an aluminum future. As you already understood, the initial value of raw materials does not play such a role as manufacturability and environmental friendliness. The divergent "green" lobby is capable of affecting the popularity of aluminum machines as many more methods, from a successful pian to a reduced collection for disposal. As a result, the image of premium brands requires wider use of aluminum and popularizing technologies in the masses, with maximum benefits for themselves, of course.

Steel structures remain a lot of cheap manufacturers, but as the maintenance of aluminum technologies should not be seduced, especially since the theoretical advantage of aluminum can even be implemented. While automakers do not try to force this transition - the structures of the body of most machines contain no more than 10-20% aluminum.

That is, the "aluminum future" will not come tomorrow, nor the day after tomorrow.

The traditional steel bodywork is ahead of the Body-Building Tupik in front, which can be avoided, only overwhelming trends for all-time hardening and relief of structures.

While progress is inhibits the manufacturability of welding processes and the presence of well-established production processes, which can still be cheap to adapt to new stamps. Increase welding current, enter accurate control of parameters, increase compression force, introduce welding in inert media ... While such methods help, the steel will remain the main element of the design. Rebuilding production is too expensive, global changes are very heavy for the non-robust locomotive industry.

And what is the cost of ownership by car? Yes, it grows, and will grow further. As we have repeatedly spoke, modern auto industry developed countries is sharpened to quickly update the fleet and a wealthy buyer with access to cheap loans under 2-3% per annum. About countries with real inflation 10-15% and "mid-class" salaries in the area of \u200b\u200b1,000 dollars, corporate managers think far from foremost. You have to adapt.

This car is known for car historians as Soybean Car ("Soy-car"), he did not have his own name. The idea of \u200b\u200ba plastic car came to Henry Ford in the late 1930s, and he instructed the development of his designer - Yujin Gregory. Being a dissatisfied development of the development, Ford handed over the task of the laboratory in Greenfield-Williage, which was engaged in the development of plastics from soybeans and other crops under the start of Engineer Lowell Overli.

By 1941, the concept was developed by plastic suitable for the manufacture of body panels, the car design was also based on the development of Gregory, and on August 13, 1941, the Soya Ford was represented by the public. The project was embedded with mad money. Ford had 12,000 acres of soy fields for experiments, and he stated that after the war he could "grow cars in a garden." Historians still do not understand why the Ford is extremely conservative and already very old at that time at that time. Someone even wrote that it was an "senile insanity" (Ford in 1941 she shucked 78 years old).

The basis of the car was the tubular frame on which 14 body panels were attached made from a composite based on a sow, but included hemp, wheat, flax and rami (Chinese nettle). As a result, the machine was weeding 860 kg - 25% less than the average car of such a class of that time. Engineers were categorically forbidden to disclose the composition of the composite. Lowell Overly pronounced several times in an interview, which includes phenol formaldehyde resin, but no more.

There are legends that the second similar car was made for Ford himself - but there is no real evidence. More such cars did not build, and all the Energy of Ford went to military deliveries. Somewhere during the war, Soybean Car was destroyed at the direction of Eugene Gregory (apparently, he followed, in turn, orders of Ford) so that the secret of the composite remains inside the company. And full-fledged plastic cars appeared only after the war.