GM 1969 Chevy factory....

this is a great "inside plant" picture that over the years enjoyed. Always good to see it again. 

Cool shot Chris!

Looks like it's nearing the end of the line. Any significance to rim color...were rims painted body color?

Chevrolet always made changes on the color of the rims; for example in 1958 they decided that all steel rims were to be silver even on the Corvettes. Body color became the norm shortly thereafter. The 1962 Corvettes either had black or body color but I don't know what made that determination.

Posted by: @bob-jackman

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Chevrolet always made changes on the color of the rims; for example in 1958 they decided that all steel rims were to be silver even on the Corvettes. Body color became the norm shortly thereafter. The 1962 Corvettes either had black or body color but I don't know what made that determination.

@sizedoesmatter Yes you are correct about the Corvette rims for 59 and 60. The 61s also had body colored. Just one more of life's mysteries.

Posted by: @sizedoesmatter

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Any significance to rim color...were rims painted body color?

Posted by: @bob-jackman

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1962 Corvettes either had black or body color but I don't know what made that determination.

That's exactly the reason behind the post:     Why the two different paint standards?   

As you guys know, colored-key rims began as a way to minimize wheel theft AND over the decades certain years saw exceptions (all black, all silver, etc. )  ALSO, there were years in which different plants employed different rules (EX: west coast = color-keyed, east cost = black )

But these two different colors in ONE plant on seemingly  similar cars puzzles me.    I'd really LOVE to know the reason(s) why.    🤔 🤔 🤔 🤔 

Going strictly by memory, in the later sixties, I remember cars with dog dish hubcaps having body color rims while the upper trim levels with full wheel covers had black rims.

Posted by: @jkuvakas

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Going strictly by memory, in the later sixties, I remember cars with dog dish hubcaps having body color rims while the upper trim levels with full wheel covers had black rims.

 

I recall that too and on cars with two piece covers, such as Rally wheels: trim rings and center caps, the wheels were also silver.

@jkuvakas Give that man a Cheroot!    John, that's a good answer/guess, and one I didn't even consider.   You're probably right.    🤨 🤔

Also keep in mind that the image has been colorized in modern times.  No one can say what the actual colors were on the cars shown.  Was the car in the foreground a white car with body colored wheels or a white car with silver wheels?  

Posted by: @d-crowe

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Also keep in mind that the image has been colorized in modern times. 

I've seen B/W prints of the same photo, but they're always "fuzzy,"   therefore, it appears that this is a genuine clear-color photo AND it does match others taken in that GM CA plant (which again reveal differently painted rims ).       But who knows, perhaps they've all been colorized?    🤔 🤔 

@chris 

Funny how we now look at the pictures of these brand new cars and see old (55 year old) cars!