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Fantastic Plastic 2015 - the material that unites a world of cars

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Created on June 1, 2015

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

127

Bruno von Rotz

127

Marcos models from the front and from behind - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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A festival of colors and shapes - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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Alpine-Renault and Matra - the pinnacle of French plastic carmaking - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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Three times plastic, three completely different philosophies - Mini Marcos, Alfa Romeo RZ and Audi Sport quattro - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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Even the dog can ride in the plastic car - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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Plastic cars from different countries and eras - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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The most diverse concepts come together in the world of plastics - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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A colorful mix of plastic cars in the Rain outdoor storage facility - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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The classic Talbot rear-view mirror on the Daimler SP 250 - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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Plastic cars in front of the exhibition halls of the Swiss Classic World Lucerne - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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Plastic cars in front of the exhibition halls of the Swiss Classic World Lucerne - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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Plastic cars in front of the exhibition halls of the Swiss Classic World Lucerne - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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Marcos three times in front of the exhibition halls of the Swiss Classic World Lucerne - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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Four brands, four colors, four philosophies - Matra, Alpine, Panhard and Lotus - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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English people among themselves - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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AC Cobra Replica - in front of color matching background - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Albar Buggy S - with brute optics - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Albar Buggy S - especially fun in good weather - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Albar Buggy S - so it gets more air - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Albar Buggy S - colorful interior in a leisure car - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Alfa Romeo ES-30 RZ Zagato - rare wedge from Italy - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Alfa Romeo ES-30 RZ - at the Museum of Transport - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Alfa Romeo ES-30 RZ - will be patterned exactly - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Alfa Romeo ES 30 RZ - angular design - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Alfa Romeo ES-30 RZ - Bonnet - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Alpine-Renault 1300 G - Berlinette in Bleu - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Alpine-Renault A 110 - Berlinette in yellow - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Alpine-Renault A110 1300 G - on the driveway to the outdoor storage facility - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Alpine-Renault A110 1600 SI - driving through Rain - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Alpine-Renault A110 SI - arrived from Germany - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Alpine-Renault A110 SI - characteristic front - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Alpine-Renault A110 - at the start of the slalom - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Alpine-Renault A110 - on the skills course - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Alpine-Renault A110 - approaching - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Alpine-Renault A310 1600 - the first A310s had a 1.6-liter engine and three headlights per side - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Alpine-Renault A310 Group 4 - almost virgin specimen - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Alpine-Renault A310 V6 - later models had twin headlights - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Alpine-Renault A310 - white and made of plastic - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Audi Sport quattro - Audi rarely built with plastic, but the Sport quattro did anyway - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Audi Sport quattro - Cooling inlets - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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BMW Z1 - Steel chassis with plastic cladding - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Bond Equipe - Specialty from England - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Chevroelt Corvette C2 - Bonnet - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Chevrolet Corvette C2 Sting Ray - earlier models with separate Sting Ray lettering - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Chevrolet Corvette C2 - as a convertible - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Chevrolet Corvette C3 Stingray - as Coupé - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Chevrolet Corvette C3 - Coupé in front of the exhibition halls in Lucerne - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Chevrolet Corvette C3 Stingray - wonderful details - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Chevrolet Corvette C3 Stingray - with the flags on the nose - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Chevrolet Corvette C3 - pointed front - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Chevrolet Corvette C3 - before brothers - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Chevrolet Corvette C3 - the Americans were leaders in plastic car construction - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Chevrolet Corvette C5 - Plastic of the modern era - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Citroën Ami 6 Jorgia - rare special based on 2CV - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Citroën 2 CV do-it-yourself - Plastic makes it possible for DIY enthusiasts to build their own car - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Daimler SP 250 - with ship - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Daimler SP 250 - with V8 engine - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Daimler SP 250 - in front of the exhibition halls in Lucerne - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Enzmann 506 - built in the new century - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Enzmann 506 - won the participant ranking - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Rear section of the Enzmann 506 - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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Enzmann 506 - interesting exhaust pipe routing - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Ginetta G4 - low and light - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Ginetta G4 - with Ford Kent engine - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Lorenz Spyder - an exotic among exotics - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Lotus 23 - was one of the more uncompromising vehicles at the meeting - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Lotus 23 - two-tone - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Lotus Elan S4 - with the classic Gold Leaf paint finish - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Lotus Europa Special - won the Audience Award - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Marcos 3 Litre - striking in yellow - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Marcos 3 Litre - on the highway - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Marcos 3 Litre - with steel chassis - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Marcos 3 Litre - elegant and flat - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Marcos - bright orange - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Marcos Mantis 2+2 - the only Marcos for four people - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Marcos Mantis - stood out even back then - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Matra 530 LX - completely restored example - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Matra 530 - with closed and open folding headlights - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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Matra 530 - bizarre looking, but with four seats and a mid-engine - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Matra 530 - with folding headlights - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Matra Djet VS - on the way to Rain - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Matra Djet VS - View of the interior - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Matra Djet VS - clearly labeled - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Matra Djet VS - Lettering on the rear - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Matra Murena 2.2 - Three-seater from France - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Matra Murena 2.2 - Folding headlights were en vogue back then - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Two Matra Murena - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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Matra Murena - in front of propeller plane at the Swiss Museum of Transport - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Matra Rancho - produced in large quantities, very rare today in good condition - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Matra Rancho - Off-road vehicle without four-wheel drive - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Microplas Toledo - Special with attractive design - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Mini Marcos - on the platform of the Mini Cooper - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Mini Marcos - ideal for narrow country roads - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Ogle SX 1000 - Plastic sports car with mini technology - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Ogle SX 1000 - very nicely packaged mini technology - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Panhard CD - lightweight and with lots of ingenious details - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Panhard CD - View of the beautifully designed wheels - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Panhard CD - A look inside - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Panhard CD - Brakes integrated in the front wheel - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Panhard CD - Rectangular headlights were not so common back then - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Panhard CD - the air-cooled two-cylinder engine delivers over 70 hp - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Panhard CD - Lettering - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Panhard CD - Lettering - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Pontiac Fiero Formula - with mid-engine and plastic body - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Porsche Speedster Replica - looks deceptively similar to the original - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Raptor self-build - reminiscent of a dinosaur - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Raptor self-build - Interior - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Raptor self-build - eye-catching paint job - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Raptor self-build - the name says it all - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Rochdale Olympic - completely made of plastic - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Sabra Sport - at the Swiss Museum of Transport Lucerne - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Sabra Sport - originally designed by Reliant, later also manufactured under license in Israel - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Sterling GT - looks much faster than it is - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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The Sterling GT attracted eyes and lenses like candy attracts flies - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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Sterling GT - a first-class show car - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Sterling GT - with electrically retractable roof area - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Sterling GT - hardly anything to be seen of the Volkswagen base - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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The roof of the Sterling GT attracts everyone's attention - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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Sterling GT - looks much more expensive than it was - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Tornado Talisman V8 - Prototype with Daimler V8 engine - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Tornado Talisman V8 - you have to hear it - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Trabant P50 - with caravan, made of plastic of course - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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TVR Grantura - at the Swiss Museum of Transport - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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TVR Grantura - still with laminated tubular frame - Fantastic Plastic 2015

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Hot rod with plastic body - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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Looks almost like something out of a movie, American hot rod with V8 power - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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American V8 in a hot rod with plastic body - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

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From the late 1950s onwards, plastic became popular as a basis for car bodies (and more), especially for small manufacturers, as investments were low even for the smallest series. Thus, apart from the better-known brands such as Lotus or Alpine, a large number of different vehicles were created, many of which have been forgotten today.

A colorful mix of plastic cars in the Rain outdoor storage facility - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

A colorful mix of plastic cars in the Rain outdoor storage facility - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

Copyright / Photographer: Bruno von Rotz

The "Fantastic Plastic" meeting is intended to give these plastic cars a stage that connects eras, countries and construction concepts and has the use of plastic in body construction as a common denominator.

Plastic cars from different countries and eras - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

Plastic cars from different countries and eras - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

Copyright / Photographer: Bruno von Rotz

On May 30, 2015, the time had come for the third time. Nearly one hundred sports cars and limousines from America, England, Spain, France, Italy, Israel, Germany and Switzerland gathered at the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne to spend an eventful day together under favorable weather conditions.

Three program points

While coolness counted at the Swiss Museum of Transport and the most interesting vehicle was chosen by the public and participants, the afternoon was all about navigation skills, as the first task was to find the "Swiss Classic World" classic car fair in Lucerne. There, all the participating cars were lined up in front of the halls, much to the delight of the visitors to the fair. Then it was time to head for the outside storage area of the Swiss Museum of Transport in Rain, an exercise that led to some participants clocking up more kilometers.

Plastic cars in front of the exhibition halls of the Swiss Classic World Lucerne - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

Plastic cars in front of the exhibition halls of the Swiss Classic World Lucerne - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

Copyright / Photographer: Bruno von Rotz

There they then had to complete a skill slalom twice with the lowest and most identical passage time possible.

Alpine-Renault A110 - on the skills course - Fantastic Plastic 2015

Alpine-Renault A110 - on the skills course - Fantastic Plastic 2015

Copyright / Photographer: Bruno von Rotz

Matra brand of honor

The Matra brand was particularly honored in 2015. Although the French manufacturer, which originally came from the armaments industry, built plastic cars for many decades, it is less well-known today than some of its competitors at the time. This is due to the fact that the late vehicles, which were produced in their millions, were not sold under the Matra name but under the Renault name (Espace, Avantime), although development and production took place at Matra. The brand's best-known sports car is the Bagheera, which had an exceptional position with its Maserati styling and three front seats, but only survived in small numbers due to its rust-sensitive structure.

Matra Murena - in front of propeller plane at the Swiss Museum of Transport - Fantastic Plastic 2015

Matra Murena - in front of propeller plane at the Swiss Museum of Transport - Fantastic Plastic 2015

Copyright / Photographer: Bruno von Rotz

The closely related successor, the Murena, was better built and a larger number of these still exist today.

The first Matra, however, was called Jet or Djet and was in principle the heir to the small series manufacturer René Bonnet, which was taken over, which is why the cars were initially also called Matra-Bonnet. The Jet/Djet was the first road-going mid-engined sports car to be built in large series.

Matra Djet VS - on the way to Rain - Fantastic Plastic 2015

Matra Djet VS - on the way to Rain - Fantastic Plastic 2015

Copyright / Photographer: Bruno von Rotz

It was followed by the 530, which again had a mid-engine but now had four seats. At the same time as the Murena, Matra also built the Rancho off-road vehicle, which, with its plastic body and pure front-wheel drive, remained an exceptional model that did not sell badly at all.

Matra Rancho - produced in large quantities, very rare today in good condition - Fantastic Plastic 2015

Matra Rancho - produced in large quantities, very rare today in good condition - Fantastic Plastic 2015

Copyright / Photographer: Bruno von Rotz

Significantly, at least one vehicle from each of the model series was on site, only one Bagheera was missing.

The show star Sterling GT

A classic show car from the seventies arrived at the Museum of Transport as a surprise guest. Back then, they were called Nova GTs or Sterling GTs and were consistently wedge-shaped. The special feature, however, was the dome above the driver and front passenger, which could be raised by hand or electrically and drew applause when the crew got out.

Sterling GT - a first-class show car - Fantastic Plastic 2015

Sterling GT - a first-class show car - Fantastic Plastic 2015

Copyright / Photographer: Bruno von Rotz

It is only when the engine is started that you realize that simple Volkswagen Beetle technology lies beneath the spectacular shell.

Almost complete Marcos program

Marcos had one of the largest brand contingents on the stand. Almost all variants of the GT from the sixties were on site, as well as one of the rare Marcos Mantis with a 2+2 configuration, two Mini-Marcos and a Mantula.

Marcos models from the front and from behind - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

Marcos models from the front and from behind - seen at the "Fantastic Plastic 2015" meeting

Copyright / Photographer: Bruno von Rotz

Marcos also presented the only type of car with a wooden chassis, while Rochdale offered the only sports car made entirely of plastic in terms of chassis and bodywork.

Forgotten brands

Among the more than 30 brands represented were some that only a few car enthusiasts are still familiar with. Bond, Ginetta, Ogle, Reliant, Sabra, Tornado, etc. What they have in common is that (almost) all of them (more or less) originate from England.

Trabant P50 - with caravan, made of plastic of course - Fantastic Plastic 2015

Trabant P50 - with caravan, made of plastic of course - Fantastic Plastic 2015

Copyright / Photographer: Bruno von Rotz

But Germany also built plastic cars in large numbers, Trabant was the simplest car and it was the people's motorization of the GDR. In Lucerne came a P50 with an attached caravan, made of plastic of course.

Rare Panhard CD

No car at the 2015 meeting was boring or like thousands of others, but this was particularly true of the Panhard CD from 1964. The 14th of less than 200 CDs produced attracted attention not only because of its design. The sound of the air-cooled two-cylinder boxer engine was also more reminiscent of a 2 CV than a sports car. However, the CD should not be underestimated: the car won its class at Le Mans, won the performance index and reached 204.8 km/h on the Hunaudières with a displacement of 701 cm3.
The production version then ran at around 180 km/h and when tuner Hampe revved up the engine a little more, as with the example on show in Lucerne, the sports car weighing just over 600 kg ran even faster.

Panhard CD - Lettering - Fantastic Plastic 2015

Panhard CD - Lettering - Fantastic Plastic 2015

Copyright / Photographer: Bruno von Rotz

Owner Mettler has the car under control, as evidenced by his victory in the skills slalom, which he completed twice with a difference of 12 hundredths and in the fourth fastest time against competitors such as the Lotus Elise, Alpine A110 and Ginetta G4.

And an Enzmann

Plastic was also the material used by Dr. Emil Enzmann when he developed his VW-based sports car in the 1950s. These cars had no doors, you simply climbed over the side. The Volkswagen platform was adopted largely unchanged, while an elegantly shaped GRP body with many interesting ideas provided more speed.

Enzmann 506 - built in the new century - Fantastic Plastic 2015

Enzmann 506 - built in the new century - Fantastic Plastic 2015

Copyright / Photographer: Bruno von Rotz

The participants in the Concours of Coolness opted for the red Enzmann 506.

In the public vote, the yellow Lotus Europa Special from 1973 was voted the coolest.

The Achilles heel of electrics

Plastic does not conduct electricity, which means that these vehicles in particular are plagued by electrical breakdowns more often than others, as cable connections for the positive and negative terminals have to be routed to the consumers instead of the conductive bodywork. It is therefore not surprising that several participants had to call on the breakdown service on the journey, albeit more frequently due to defective power generation than a lack of conductivity. Not everyone was able to continue the journey to Lucerne, so some exciting cars ended up staying away from the meeting. But maybe it will work out next time, as there are plans for another Fantastic Plastic in 2016.

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