The Observer, April 11, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 24
Global Scorning: Plastic cars: more than just toys
Recently, as I was watching a History Channel special on Henry Ford's experimentation with plastic on his renowned Model T, I became fascinated with the concept of a plastic car. I decided to do a little research on my own to fully understand what exactly happened to the 30 percent lighter, soy-based, plastic-bodied automobile and why we are not driving in these life-sized "toy cars" today.
The 1940s were an important time for the plastics industry; plastic was being introduced in many different products, such as paint and acrylic fibers. But Ford found another use for it, and experimented further on the origin of it.
According to the book Henry Ford and His Magic Beanstalk, Ford experimented extensively in using soybeans as a resource for creating plastic. After experimenting with different crops, Ford decided on doing further research on the soybean due to its richness in versatile oil, protein, and fiber. In 1932, Ford decided to spend about $1.2 billion to plant several hundred varieties of soybeans on thousands of acres of land. Though he acknowledges in the book that his soybean investment was volatile, he discovered quickly that soybeans were a wise and reliable choice: soybean oil made high-quality enamel for painting his automobiles.
Doing further research, I came across an old Fortune magazine from 1933 that reported that two years after his discovery of the soybean's potential, bushels of soybeans went into the paint, horn button, gearshift knob, door handles, window trim, accelerator pedal, and timing gears of every Ford car. Eventually, the soybean would invade many other small parts of the vehicle. By 1937, Robert Boyer, a Ford researcher, developed a plastic sheet that Ford planned to use for automobile bodies. This new development gained much media coverage, as it was expected to change the whole industry and replace steel in much of the automobile structure. Even more astounding to the industry was the handmade plastic body of an automobile that Ford unveiled in 1941.
Unfortunately, Ford's incredible dreams came to an end. The United States' entry into World War II suspended further development and mass production of Ford's plastic automobile. And after failure to gain soybean interest from other parties such as the armed forces, Ford eventually sold his fabrication process and machinery to the Drackett Company in Cincinnati with no further production or success.
Not many people remember or focus on this part of Ford's life and the Ford Company's extensive innovation. Through Ford's creativity and drive, he was able to construct a highly acclaimed, thought-provoking product that impressed society. We can and should take inspiration from Ford's inventiveness to put toward our own creations and to improve society.
