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50 millionth GM car celebration, 1954

I wonder where the gold Bel-Aire is?

Over 300000 good paying Union Jobs for the middle class. And the company/city included them in the celebration.

http://www.tvraaca.org/gm50millioni.htm

Geno

The unique Anniversary Gold Bel Air two-door hardtop became privately owned at some point after its days of generating publicity for GM came to an end and according to Classic Chevy World magazine’s editor, Joe Whitaker, the car was recently known to be owned by a North Carolina resident.According to him, this owner (who prefers his privacy so he will be called “Mr. Gold”) owned a different 1955 hardtop he was planning to restore. Mr. Gold learned of some garage owners who were building another 1955 hardtop into a race car so he went there to see it. Extensive modifications were nearly underway when Mr. Gold’s inspection of it showed it to be in better condition than the car he originally planned to restore. Since this car was about to get major modifications Mr. Gold suggested swapping it for his car. The offer was accepted.

After getting the car home and beginning the dismantling process, Mr. Gold noticed lots of gold plating and gold paint inside the car. He also found a special plate on the firewall, so he called Tom Trainor who worked for GM for 30 years and was a Chevy hobbyist (and is since deceased). Tom found that the VIN on Mr. Gold’s Bel Air matched that of the 50-millionth GM car. As of the last report, it was still in the process of being restored.Hopefully, upon completion of the restoration of this historic Bel Air the car’s owner will share it with Chevy enthusiasts by showing it at car shows and special events. We are sure readers would very much enjoy seeing the finished car.

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Hard to believe that the car wound up in public hands.

yeah, back in the days before Flint and Michigan got flushed down the toilet by taxes and the Unions.... UAW etc...

Saw the something millionth car from GM in Florida at a Museum off the freeway while down there once...

it was a 64 Chevy Convertible, with a 409 with 2 Four barrels on top...car had like 25 original miles on it...

was white if I remember correctly...

even tho I am a UAW Union Member, working in a factory for a couple of years in college....its too bad it destroyed the American Automotive Industry, especially G.M.

Flint was a great place when I was a kid, that was over half a century ago.

I played a music festival in Flint in 94 or 95 and it sucked then, I'm sure its much worse now. A true American $hit hole just like Memphis.

Honest to goodness it is mind boggling when one considers the destruction that has occurred to this country's industrial sector in the last 50 years. Short of countries destroyed by war, it is unprecedented I'm sure.

Flint now has little heavy industry. Mostly due to plants there getting old and moving elsewhere (everyone has their opinion of why this happened). Only a few of the old businesses still around from GM days , either as a spinoff, purchase to someone else or much reduced circumstances. it will likely develop into a college town around the UofM campus (which is one of the few expanding businesses).

It still has water resources to attrach businesses (even if you shouldn't drink it).

My name is on the last Oldsmobile ever built! But we all got to sign it.

BOC Division, better known as Bend Over Concept...

Between Flint Engine, Metal Fab and Truck & Bus GM still spends hundreds of millions of dollars for plant improvement.

I saw a story yesterday that Carrier, a heating/air company, is closing it's plant here and moving their manufacturing to Mexico - eliminating 1400 jobs. If we don't change our current trade agreements and get a handle on entitlements, between 3rd-world labor and technology, over the next 20 years our future job opportunities are going to make Flint look like the land of milk and honey.

Thanks all for the comments and links and such. It's great to know that car still exists and is not turned into scrap.

Around here, we mostly seem to appreciate the benefits of capitalism but the results (Carrier moving to Mexico, the "downfall" of American manufacturing) leave much to be desired, except for sometimes less expensive goods.

Having lived in the "rust belt" (NW PA) I've seen what the decline looks like, it's not pretty.

again folks,

thanks for your input.