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Soybean Car

In the early 1940s, Henry Ford experimented with making plastic parts for automobiles. These experiments resulted in what was described as a "plastic car made from soybeans." Although this automobile never made it into the museum's collections, it remains a good example of innovative design.

What is it?

The "Soybean Car" was actually a plastic-bodied car unveiled by Henry Ford on August 13, 1941 at Dearborn Days, an annual community festival.

Soybean Car

What was it made of?

The frame, made of tubular steel, had 14 plastic panels attached to it. The car weighed 2000 lbs., 1000 lbs. lighter than a steel car. The exact ingredients of the plastic panels are unknown because no record of the formula exists today. One article claims that they were made from a chemical formula that, among many other ingredients, included soybeans, wheat, hemp, flax and ramie; while the man who was instrumental in creating the car, Lowell E. Overly, claims it was "…soybean fiber in a phenolic resin with formaldehyde used in the impregnation" (Davis, 51).

Who helped make/design it?

Henry Ford first put E.T. (Bob) Gregorie of the Styling Department in charge, but was not satisfied. He then transferred the project to the Soybean Laboratory in Greenfield Village and to the care of Lowell E. Overly, whose formal training was in tool and die design. His supervisor, Robert A. Boyer, a chemist, aided him.

What was it used for?

The car was exhibited at Dearborn Days in 1941. It was also trucked to the Michigan State Fair Grounds for display later that year. Many people ask us about Henry Ford's experiments with making plastic parts for automobiles in the early 1940s. These experiments resulted in what was described as a "plastic car made from soybeans." Although this automobile never made it into the museum's collections, we thought we would address the myriad questions we receive about this unique and fascinating vehicle.

Why was it built?

There were several reasons why Henry Ford wanted to build this car: 1.) He was looking for a project that would combine the fruits of industry with agriculture. 2.) He also claimed that the plastic panels made the car safer than traditional steel cars; and that the car could even roll over without being crushed. 3.) Another reason was due to a shortage of metal at the time. Henry hoped his new plastic material might replace the traditional metals used in cars.

Why weren't more 'soybean' cars built?

The outbreak of World War II suspended all auto production, and therefore the plastic car experiment. A second unit was in production at the time the war broke out, but the project was abandoned. By the end of the war the idea of a plastic car had fallen through the cracks due to energy being directed towards war recovery efforts.

Where is the car today?

According to Overly, the car was destroyed by E.T. Gregorie (Davis, 51).

Note

The famous picture of Henry Ford hitting a car with an ax is not a picture of the soybean car. It was actually Ford's personal car with a plastic rear deck lid made to fit it. He liked to demonstrate the strength of the plastic, and the ax he used would fly out of his hands, about 15 ft. (a rubber boot was placed on the sharp end of the ax) into the air.

Soybean Car Source Notes

All sources available in the Benson Ford Research Center Collections.

  • Bryan, Ford R. Beyond the Model T. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1997, 112-113.
  • Davis, Rusty. "Henry's Plastic Car: An Interview with Mr. Lowell E. Overly." V8 Times[?], 46-51.
  • "Ford Builds a Plastic Auto Body." Modern Plastics. September, 1941.
  • Lewis, David L., The Public Image of Henry Ford. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1976, 283-285.
  • McCann-Erickson, Inc., Penobscot Building Detroit, MI. "Ford Completes First Plastic Body as Steel Goes on Priority List." August 14, 1941.
  • Wik, Reynold M. Henry Ford and Grass Roots America. Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press, 1972, 151-152.

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Artifacts Related to Soybean Car

Ford Souvenir Salt & Pepper Set From Texas Centennial Exposition, 1936
Ford Souvenir Salt & Pepper Set From Texas Centennial Exposition, 1936

Ford Souvenir Salt & Pepper Set From Texas Centennial Exposition, 1936

The Henry Ford   Details

Ford Souvenir Salt & Pepper Set From Texas Centennial Exposition, 1936

View in our Collectionson thehenryford.org 

Artifact

Salt and pepper set

Date Made

1936

Summary

Scientists at Ford's Soybean Laboratory developed a variety of plastic products made from soybean solids left when the oil was extracted, including gear shift knobs. These soybean gear shift knobs were converted into a set of souvenir salt and pepper shakers for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition.

Creators

Ford Motor Company 

Place of Creation

United States, Texas, Dallas 

Keywords

United States, Texas, Dallas 

Salt and pepper sets 

Saltshakers 

Pepper shakers 

Souvenirs 

Soybean products 

Exhibitions 

World's fairs 

Texas Centennial (1936 : Dallas, Tex.) 

Ford Motor Company 

Object ID

99.115.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Arthur and Eileen Lamminen

Greenfield Village
 On Exhibit

at Greenfield Village in Soybean Lab Agricultural Gallery

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

Ford Souvenir Salt & Pepper Set From Texas Centennial Exposition, 1936

View in our Collectionson thehenryford.org 

What is The Henry Ford?

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Soybean Meal Used in Making Automobile Parts, Ford Rouge Plant, 1935
Soybean Meal Used in Making Automobile Parts, Ford Rouge Plant, 1935 (back)

Soybean Meal Used in Making Automobile Parts, Ford Rouge Plant, 1935

The Henry Ford   Details

Soybean Meal Used in Making Automobile Parts, Ford Rouge Plant, 1935

View in our Collectionson thehenryford.org 

Artifact

Photographic print

Summary

Starting in 1931, Henry Ford invested much money and research into soybeans. Ford viewed the crop as a bridge between agriculture and industry, and he used soybean oil and soybean-based plastics in Ford Motor Company vehicles. At the Rouge's processing building, soybeans were crushed and mixed with hexane -- a chemical that extracted the soybean oil.

Creators

Ford Motor Company. Engineering Photographic Department 

Keywords

United States, Michigan, Dearborn 

Photographic prints 

Photographs 

Automobile industry 

Soybeans 

Soybean products 

Ford automobile 

Automobile parts 

Ford Motor Company. Rouge River Plant 

Object ID

EI.1929.486

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.

 On Exhibit

Not on exhibit to the public.

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

Soybean Meal Used in Making Automobile Parts, Ford Rouge Plant, 1935

View in our Collectionson thehenryford.org 

What is The Henry Ford?

The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.

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George Washington Carver Holding a Skein of Soy Fiber at the Soybean Laboratory, Greenfield Village, 1939
George Washington Carver Holding a Skein of Soy Fiber at the Soybean Laboratory, Greenfield Village, 1939 (back)

George Washington Carver Holding a Skein of Soy Fiber at the Soybean Laboratory, Greenfield Village, 1939

The Henry Ford   Details

George Washington Carver Holding a Skein of Soy Fiber at the Soybean Laboratory, Greenfield Village, 1939

View in our Collectionson thehenryford.org 

Artifact

Photographic print

Summary

A mutual interest in industrial products made from plants brought Henry Ford and the scientist George Washington Carver together as colleagues and friends. Ford developed plastics and fibers from soybeans. Here, on a 1939 visit to Dearborn, George Washington Carver is seated in the Soybean Laboratory in Greenfield Village, holding a skein of soy fiber in his hands.

Creators

Ford Motor Company. Engineering Photographic Department 

Place of Creation

United States, Michigan, Dearborn 

Keywords

United States, Michigan, Dearborn 

Photographic prints 

Photographs 

Portraits 

African Americans 

Scientists 

Soybean fiber 

Carver, George Washington, 1864?-1943 

Soybean Lab Agricultural Gallery 

Henry Ford (Organization). Greenfield Village 

Object ID

84.1.1660.P.188.26232

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

George Washington Carver Holding a Skein of Soy Fiber at the Soybean Laboratory, Greenfield Village, 1939

View in our Collectionson thehenryford.org 

What is The Henry Ford?

The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.

VIEW CALENDAR

 
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Details
Robert Boyer with Soybean Plastic Car Scale Model and Frame, 1941
Robert Boyer with Soybean Plastic Car Scale Model and Frame, 1941 (back)

Robert Boyer with Soybean Plastic Car Scale Model and Frame, 1941

The Henry Ford   Details

Robert Boyer with Soybean Plastic Car Scale Model and Frame, 1941

View in our Collectionson thehenryford.org 

Artifact

Photographic print

Summary

Robert Boyer, a chemist, oversaw a series of experiments at Greenfield Village's Soybean Laboratory. The undertaking resulted in this plastic-bodied car. Henry Ford had a strong interest in plastic automobile parts. Always partial to projects combining industry with agriculture, Ford hoped plastic made from soybeans might be developed into a safe, strong substitute for traditional metals.

Creators

Ford Motor Company. Engineering Photographic Department 

Place of Creation

United States, Michigan, Dearborn 

Keywords

United States, Michigan, Dearborn 

Photographic prints 

Photographs 

Automobiles 

Soybean products 

Scale models 

Cars 

Boyer, Robert A. (Robert Allen), 1909-1989 

Object ID

84.1.1660.P.189.16400

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

Robert Boyer with Soybean Plastic Car Scale Model and Frame, 1941

View in our Collectionson thehenryford.org 

What is The Henry Ford?

The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.

VIEW CALENDAR

 
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Details
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Contact Center Hours: Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
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20900 Oakwood Boulevard, Dearborn, MI 48124-5029

Contact Center: 313-982-6001
Contact Center Hours: Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Sunday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
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