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Before the Toyota Prius, the Chevy Volt and the Honda Insight--way back in the 1930s and 1940s respectively--were the Fuller Dymaxion and the Ford Soymobile.

The Dymaxion looks rather strange: two wheels in front and one in back. From above, it has the shape of a snowshoe. It was created by the late Buckminster Fuller, best known for his unique geodesic dome, a building design and significant architectural achievement.

The Dymaxion is a front-wheel-drive car that uses a rudder-like device for steering from the rear, and also features a periscope. It is capable of 30-36 miles per gallon—quite a feat for the 1930s when it was first produced.  Only three were built and just one survives, sitting comfortably in the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada.

Fuller received some help in the design from his friend Isamu Noguchi, who made plaster models for testing. A US patent (No. 2,101,057) was issued to Fuller in 1937. Surprisingly, the Dymaxion is powered by a Ford V-8 engine, not usually known for fuel efficiency. The secret to its impressive gas mileage is the car’s shape—an aerodynamic design that greatly reduces air resistance. This feature of the Dymaxion is alluded to in the following excerpt from its patent:

The streamline body covers or encloses all of the chassis including all the wheels. For the best economy it should be so designed that every axial section has a full streamline contour, which is to say that the body should be continuously curved from a round or blunt front to a tapered tail….

Now, imagine a car made from soybeans. Admittedly, it is not the stuff of luxury car ads showing glamorous people living life in elegant fashion.

It is Henry Ford’s Soymobile, which consists of body panels made from soybean plastic and  reportedly some 1,000 pounds lighter than similar metal cars. Not only innovative in its lightweight design, it also utilizes ethanol, something truly inventive for its time. Ford promoted the car during World War II, when gasoline rationing was becoming the norm. He filed a patent on his method of constructing plastic auto bodies in 1942.

According to Web commentator Kayla Daniels, the problem with the car is its stench: “Ford Executive Robert Boyer drove the Soymobile for only a few weeks before abandoning it because of a ‘strong odor reminiscent of a mortuary.’” People can be very demanding.

The Ford Soymobile never caught on and was not mass produced. But soybean technology marches on. According to the United Soybean Board,

Ford Motor Company has continued research into bio-based foams and plastics for use in automobile body panels and interior parts. In 2003, Ford showcased the Model U concept vehicle, which contains soy-based polyurethane seats. Ford has successfully researched the use of soy-based polyols in the development of soy foam for inclusion in automobile seating applications.

Updated 6/11/10; originally posted 3/18/09.

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