Unfortunately the cure time of the plastic panels did not lend itself to Ford’s mass production schedules and the war years ended this experiment. ( While in the first docent class for the “Towe Ford Museum” in ‘87, I was taught this great experiment ended when a goat ate the license plate frame. :)Charlotte ) So convinced was Henry that soy beans would become the farm’s primary product, he displayed his family barn at the Chicago World’s Fair, complete with a soy bean driven engine, producing electricity and lighting surrounded by soy bean plants. Henry also commented, “No need for the cows anymore, drink soy milk.”, which he served to the surrounding reporters.


Henry Ford displayed
his Soy bean car in 1941

The U.S. Air Force Hydraulic Maintenance Course emphasizes the importance of petroleum base oil l vs vegetable base hydraulic oil (soy bean) by color coding, red vs blue. Most earlier model aircraft used soy bean oils in the various hydraulic systems.

Speaking of Burning: Ethanol is to replace the MPDE additive in gasoline this year. It’s not rocket science to produce soy ethanol. And good moonshiner can get’ter done with a vat of crushed soy beans and a pinch of yeast. In about 3 hours you have fuel. The San Francisco Bay Ferry Service is now operating on soy bio– diesel. According to the commuters, they are now wafting pleasant fumes from the stacks, similar to the aroma of a fine restaurant. .

Speaking of Fuel: Quoting Jackie Gleason, “Someday Alice, you’re going straight to the moon.” The same may be said for the soy bean. Working as a Process Engineer in the ’60’s at Aero Jet General Solid ///////rocket Plant, I caught a friend taking chemical production inventory of solid rocket fuel components, scoop up two fingers of a honey looking material from one of the storage containers and lick his fingers clean. “Hey, what are you doing, Tom?” It’s lethicin and it’s good for you!” came the answer.

As it turns out, various propellant formulas of the polyurethane fuel systems on board the Minuteman, Polaris, Poseidon, and solid boosters for Apollo, and so on, contain soy lethicin to help bond the propellant to the chamber side wall.

In conclusion, not only has Henry’s soy bean participated in the defense of the Nation, assisted in Mankind’s journey into space and beyond, it has also provided plastics and bonding agents, fuels, foods, and cosmetics for the home consumer. Some 77 years later Henry’s lifelong goal to find a growable product for industry and provide a new farm product to improve the farm product to improve the farmer’s income has been well achieved. We are all in debt to Henry Ford’s vision.