The 50 Millionth GM Car

At approximately 10 a.m. on this day in 1954, Chevrolet General Manager Thomas Keating drove a gold-plated 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Coupe off a Flint, Michigan assembly line, marking the 50 millionth automobile produced by General Motors. Shortly thereafter, it would be loaded onto a flatbed parade float and towed through downtown Flint. Thousands of people packed the streets to get a glimpse of the historic vehicle. A number of other important automobiles and people flowed through the streets that day, including the first Cadillac produced under GM ownership.

To commemorate the occasion, Chevrolet built 5,000 gold painted Bel Airs, though these were four door models and their trim remained chrome. This of course was much less expensive than the 716 trim parts plated with 24-carat gold on the actual anniversary vehicle. That special car even had its chassis painted gold… read more >