Automotive History trivia part III

[Chris]

OK, heres the question: What is the first American car that has a plastic body to be mass produced.

Hint: its not the corvette.

[RazorGTR]

I believe it was the Feiro if that is how it is spelt.

[Chris]

Nope, try 35+ years earlier (and its "fiero")

[RazorGTR]

damn...... ok I will work on it

[NJTy180]

Well, I hope its not the Corvette, especially since its made out of Fiberglass...... but anyway...

my first guess is the Amphicar (aka boat-car)

[Chris]

Fiberglass counts, its really glass re-inforced plastic. Which is what this car is.

[NJTy180]

fiberglass does not count.... but anyway...its something made 1966 or earlier so you say, and if its not the Corvette (which you think is plastic), then it has to be made before 1953, cause the Vette was the first fiberglass production car...

[NJTy180]

ok, I am gonna go with 1952 Glasspar G2 Roadster or the 1953 Kaiser-Darrin Convertible, neither of which I feel count as a "mass production" vehicle, especially since the Glasspar was also a "kit car" and there werent very many made before the Vette came out.

[NJTy180]

c'mon damnit, REPLY!!!!

[Chris]

Sorry, I was working last night. But I think you're right:alien2:

I will have to double check. It started production in 1952, and several hundred were fully built then sold. They were available in kit form, though.

This info was taken from Automobile quarterly, 1972, no. 4 (or 2, I will check tonight)

[NJTy180]

Originally posted by Chris
Sorry, I was working last night. But I think you're right:alien2:

its cool, i was just bustin ur chops. I had to look high and low for that info....

[Chris]

The correct answer is the Woodill Wildfire. They also made glaspar kits for stock chassis' (so you can be considered correct) They began production in 1952m with a fiberglass body. They were available as both a kit and a fully completed production car, although several hundred were made this way. It was a low-slung roadster. It used many parts from the Jeep!! It was based on the jeep chassis also, but the 90hp engine could be replaced by a Cadillac or Ford engine on request. Production ended in 1958.

So, the new question is: How many acres of soy beans was Henry Ford growing in 1935 to be used to make car bodies, trim, shock oil, paint ingredients, etc.


Good luck

[NJTy180]

ok, did a little research...

in 1935, Henry Ford was putting approximately 1 bushel of soy in each vehicle.
The 1935 production year totaled 820,253 automobiles.
The 1935 Soy bean crop yielded almost 16 bushels per acre.

Doing the math, 820,253/15.6 = 52,581 Acres of Soy to produce his automobiles.

[Chris]

My source says 12000 acres were being grown by Ford. I will have to check tonight (maybe he had 12000 additional acres planned for new stuff), or it might mention your figure somewhere.

[NJTy180]

nah, i could be way off. my answer is purely statistical. what ford ACTUALLY used might be something else.... dont start doubting youself