In the early 1940s, Henry Ford, a renowned industrialist and visionary, pioneered an extraordinary concept in the face of impending metal scarcity: a car made from agricultural produce, aptly known as the ‘Soybean Car.’ The innovative model, introduced in 1941, replaced metal with agricultural plastic, yielding a vehicle that was lightweight and fuel-efficient. Its creation was made possible through the ingenious use of soybean fiber in a phenolic resin, with formaldehyde applied during impregnation, as described by Lowell E. Overly, a key contributor to the car’s creation. The Soybean Car’s weight was notably reduced from 2,500 pounds to 1,900 pounds, … Continue reading The Soybean Car: Henry Ford’s Pioneering Contribution to Sustainable Automobility