By the end of 1940s it seems all the auto makers were using plastics in their cars, Henry Ford was the first in 1942, and many folks though he was nuts, but it turns out once again, the man was just ahead of his time. Plastic has become a preferred material over the years. But back in the day even Goodyear started making plastic for automobiles in those days, which supplemented the rubber industry after World War II.
Indeed, if you ever get chance and visit Akron Ohio, may I recommend going to the "World of Rubber Museum" at the Goodyear plant down town and check out the progression of materials used in cars. There is so much rubber in today's automobiles, along with so much plastic that is actually causing a real problem when these cars are crushed for metal recycling or end up in the junkyard.
As a matter-of-fact the problem is so huge in Europe that the EU, WTO and other organizations have formed the ELV or End of Life Program to fix this problem. Each manufacturer puts up a deposit of each vehicle sold so when it's life is over they can afford to recycle all of it, separating out the plastics, metals, and rubbers.
The University of Chicago has been working on ways to melt down the plastic, rubber, and foams to reuse. I would say that within the next decade we will have a similar program to the ELV program in Europe. Today if you look at the South every person living in a mobile home has a least five cars not running sitting out front rusting away.
These are iron oxides get into the groundwater and can cause increased chance of heart attacks. And when these vehicles catch fire the smoke from the plastic is quite toxic. Please consider all this.
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