Plastics in automobiles at SITEV '81

Abstract In the March 1981 edition of Materials in Engineering (P149) D. Charlesworth ‘Potential use for plastics in Automobiles’, reviewed in terms of materials properties and processing methods the advantages and limitations of plastics in comparison with metals. In order to convince car makers of the potential of plastics, materials suppliers and component manufacturers develop prototype parts which are publicly displayed, often for the first time, at motor shows. The most important of these shows is the International Exhibition of Suppliers to the Vehicle Industry (SITEV). SITEV '81 took place in Geneva and the more significant new applications of plastics to automobile components are reviewed and their likelihood of adaption by the automotive industry assessed in this article by Dr. N.A. Waterman who is a consultant on materials selection to the plastics and automotive industries.