henry Ford's Soybean car

Henry Ford’s Soybean Car: Innovation Rooted in Nature

When most people think of Henry Ford, they envision the Model T and the assembly line—not soybeans. Yet, in the 1930s and 1940s, the automotive pioneer delved into agricultural innovation, experimenting with ways to make cars from plants—most notably, soybeans.

Ford, a farm boy at heart, believed deeply in the potential of agriculture to serve industry. At the height of the Great Depression, he sought ways to support American farmers and reduce the nation’s dependence on metal, which was both costly and limited in supply. Enter the soybean: a versatile crop that Ford thought could revolutionize materials science.

Ford’s experiments led to the development of a prototype car with a plastic body made partly from soybean fibers, along with wheat, hemp, flax, and ramie. Debuted in 1941, the “Soybean Car” was said to weigh 1,000 pounds less than a standard steel vehicle and to be more dent-resistant. It also ran on ethanol derived from agricultural products—well ahead of its time in both sustainability and fuel alternatives.

Though the car never reached mass production—World War II and shifting priorities halted further development—Ford’s soybean experiments were far from futile. They helped lay the foundation for today’s use of bio-based plastics and plant-derived materials in automotive manufacturing.

In hindsight, Ford’s soybean car was less about building a better car and more about building a better future. His experiments remain a fascinating chapter in the story of how innovation and agriculture can intersect to shape industry.