Lowell E. Overly in the Ford Soybean Car, 1941

01

Artifact Overview

Lowell Overly made molds for the soy-plastic instrument knobs used in Ford automobiles in the 1930s. Given Overly's experience, Henry Ford appointed him to work with chemist Robert Boyer and Ford's design department on an experimental "soybean car" with a complete soy-plastic body. One functional prototype was built in 1941, but World War II ended further work on the concept.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Subject Date

13 August 1941

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

64.167.189.P.16354

Credit

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

Material

Paper (Fiber product)
Linen (Material)

Technique

Gelatin silver process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 7.488 in
Width: 11 in

Lowell E. Overly in the Ford Soybean Car, 1941