57 Chev
You asked if I remember seeing the new 57 Chevrolet Bel Air for the first time. I sure do. I went to work for General Motors on October 30, 1956 in Janesville, Wisconsin. My very first night on the assembly line was my first view of that car. I was working for Fisher Body, so all I saw was from the rear forward to the fire wall, I worked on the trim line so at least they were painted and started to have some charecter by the time they got to my station.
My first job was to install quarter glass, the rear seat window on the 2 doors and the stationary glass on the sides of station wagons. Anyway, I really liked that Bel Air 2 door hardtop, so I went to a local dealer in Brodhead, Wisconsin and ordered one. I was 18 years old, had only worked for GM a couple of months, didn't even have my 90 days in. I was able to get the order number and with help from Local Management I was able to follow the car down the assembly line(for a while) I didn't actually work on the car since the day shift installed the glass I would have done. But I did relocate the car before my shift started that night and of course it just kept getting more and more beautiful with each move down the assembly line. Before the night was over it shipped next door to the Chevrolet Division for final completion. The car was great, HOT, 220horsepower, power pack, turqouise and ivory, and skirts. I drove it about 35,000 miles and traded it on a new Buick.
As I type this story I have a replica of that car, same color, on top of my computer desk. Now almost 52 years later I'm still a GM retiree and BUYER, never have owned anything but General Motors and never will.
Robert McNatt
12726 Devonshire Lakes Circle
Fort Myers, Florida
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