Henry Ford’s Soybean Car | August 13th, 1941 Today in Ford Motor Company History

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." Henry Ford's soybean car was introduced to the public on August 13th, 1941. It was made from fourteen ¼-inch thick plastic panels and plexiglass windows, attached to a tubular steel frame, and weighed in at 1,900 pounds, about a third lighter than comparable automobiles of the era. The finished prototype was exhibited later that year at the Dearborn Days festival, and the Michigan State Fair Grounds. Today in Ford Motor Company History is produced by Gary Crossley Ford in Kansas City, Missouri. https://www.garycrossleyford.com/ About Gary Crossley Ford/#MyKCFord: https://www.garycrossleyford.com/aboutus.aspx Follow #MyKCFord on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mykcford Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mykcford/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyKCFord TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mykcford Experience the Crossley Difference. Job openings at #MyKCFord: https://www.garycrossleyford.com/careers.html Gary Crossley Ford is an Equal Opportunity Employer, located in Kansas City, MO. #Ford #AutomotiveHistory #soybean

Added 18 Sept 2026