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Old 05-31-2017, 07:48 PM   #30 (permalink)
freebeard
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soybean_car

Henry Ford's 1941 'hemp' car was designed to run on hemp oil and had body panels made of hemp and soy composite.

Quote:
The soybean car, more recently referred to as the hemp body car, was a car built with agricultural plastic. Although the formula used to create the plasticized panels has been lost, it is conjectured that the first iteration of the body was made partially from soybeans and hemp. The body was lighter and therefore more fuel efficient than a normal metal body. It was made in Dearborn, Michigan, through the work of scientist/botanist George Washington Carver and was introduced to public view on August 13, 1941. It was made, in part, as a hedge against the rationing of steel during World War II. It was designed to run on hemp fuel.
2500lb down to 1900lb, a 25% improvement.
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