America has an ongoing love affair with the automobile, and plastics play a major role

Our love affair dates back to the turn of the century — the first auto show was held in New York in 1900 — and, as we approach a new century, the affair is still going strong. The first American-made gasoline-powered automobile, the Duryea, was actually built in1896. But the country didn't get behind the wheel in a big way until Henry Ford's legendary Model-T rolled off the assembly line in 1908. Ford chose a relatively new material, celluloid plastic, for the side curtains in the Model-T and heralded the start of another long lasting affair — this one between automakers and tough, lightweight plastics and polymer-based fibers.

Today the automotive industry is one of the largest worldwide users of plastics. Corrosion-resistant, durable plastics are used in thousands of applications — outside, inside and under the hood. Plastics' lightness and versatility translate into more performance and better fuel economy. According to some estimates, the average car would weigh 10% more if other materials were used.

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