Henry Ford and Robert Boyer with the Soybean Car, 1941
Add to SetSummary
Robert Boyer, a chemist, oversaw a series of experiments at Greenfield Village's Soybean Laboratory. The undertaking resulted in this plastic-bodied car. Henry Ford had a strong interest in plastic automobile parts. Always partial to projects combining industry with agriculture, Ford hoped plastic made from soybeans might be developed into a safe, strong substitute for traditional metals.
Robert Boyer, a chemist, oversaw a series of experiments at Greenfield Village's Soybean Laboratory. The undertaking resulted in this plastic-bodied car. Henry Ford had a strong interest in plastic automobile parts. Always partial to projects combining industry with agriculture, Ford hoped plastic made from soybeans might be developed into a safe, strong substitute for traditional metals.
Artifact
Photographic print
Subject Date
13 August 1941
Creators
Ford Motor Company. Engineering Photographic Department
Place of Creation
United States, Michigan, Dearborn
Creator Notes
Photographed by Ford Motor Company Engineering Photographic Department, Dearborn, Michigan
Keywords
United States, Michigan, Dearborn
Automobile industry executives
Collection Title
On Exhibit
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Object ID
64.167.189.P.16352
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Material
Paper (Fiber product)
Technique
Gelatin silver process
Color
Black-and-white (Colors)
Dimensions
Height: 7.5 in
Width: 11 in