On 13 January 1942, US Patent No. 2,269,452 was granted to Henry Ford and Eugene Gregorie for “Automobile chassis construction”.
Ford was chasing a material shift, not just a new frame. The project that became known as the soybean car explored a lightweight, plastic bodied vehicle, built around a tubular steel chassis and fitted with moulded panels made from plant based fibres and resins.
It was part wartime pragmatism, part long game vision, reducing reliance on scarce metals and linking industry to agriculture. The prototype never reached production, but the patent reads today like an early chapter in renewable composites and lightweight vehicle design.
The Ford Soybean Car and its frame, 1941. Image Credit: Collections of The Henry Ford.
Drawings from US Patent No. 2,269,452 for “Automobile chassis construction”.
| Country | Kind | No. | Published | Title | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | Patent | 2,269,452 | 13.01.1942 | Automobile chassis construction |
Last updated on 18 February 2026