Engineer with Frame for Soybean Plastic Car, August 1941

01

Artifact Overview

At Henry Ford's direction, Ford Motor Company explored industrial uses for soybeans in the 1930s, and soy-based plastics were used in things like gear shift knobs and horn buttons. In 1941, the company built a car with a soy-plastic body. Beneath its exterior, the "soybean car" featured a tubular steel framework with a double-frame-rail chassis that strengthened the experimental automobile.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Date Made

25 August 1941

Subject Date

25 August 1941

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

64.167.189.P.16399

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: 7.5 in
Width: 11 in