On August 13, 1941, Henry Ford presented Dearborn with a plastic car. Its nickname "soy car" can let you imagine a vehicle entirely made with a plant. However, the prototype has a tubular steel structure, on which fourteen panels are fixed.
The Henry Ford Museum says the exact formula of these panels is no longer known. Historical descriptions mention plant ingredients; Lowell Overly, who contributed to the project, referred to soybean fibres in a phenolic resin. These testimonials do not replace a preserved recipe.
Ford wanted to bring agriculture and industry closer together. The prototype is a real experiment, not proof of an entirely plant-based or invulnerable automobile. The most surprising part of its history is this difference between the fame of the nickname and the uncertainty that remains over the precise material.
What we know
Real prototype, steel chassis; exact formula unknown, safety performance not certified.
To go to the source
References consulted on 3 October 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
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