January 13

Inventor Receives Patent for Plastic Cars

On January 13, 1942, Henry Ford of Dearborn, Michigan, patented the construction of plastic automobiles. During World War II, it was hard for him to get enough steel to build cars because steel was being used for airplanes, tanks, and other weapons. Henry Ford experimented with and patented the use of other types of materials in car manufacturing, including a strong plastic made from soybeans.