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It’s not everyday that you come across a classic Chevrolet Cheyenne pickup, not because they’re rare, but because you’ve probably passed right by a few in your years without even thinking twice about it. But for one man, the inspiration of his third-generation Cheyenne made for a trip he won’t soon forget. As we found out from the Canadian National Post [2], Howard Elmer recently took his pickup back “home” to the GM plant in Flint, Michigan where the truck started its life, before heading to Canada where Elmer and his wife live.
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Although Elmer was hopeful that his truck had been manufactured at the Oshawa plant, a check on the VIN code revealed Michigan as the truck’s origin. So before Elmer and his wife headed to Canada from Colorado, he decided to take the truck back to the plant. Surprisingly, when Elmer called GM to tell them of his plans, they were more than happy to accommodate him.
For those of you who don’t know, the Flint production plant has been producing Chevrolets since 1947. This is the plant that produced the first 1955 Corvettes as well as many generations of cars and pickup trucks. Today, the plant is busier than ever, running production 24 hours a day over three shifts.
After getting only about 12 miles to the gallon across the Midwest states with the truck’s 250hp-rated Chevy small-block 350, Elmer and his wife arrived to a celebration at the Flint plant. Pulled into “Fifth Avenue,” an area looking back at the history of the Chevy plant, the Cheyenne joined historic photos and awards on display. Surrounded by about 100 line workers, the family was given United Auto Workers (UAW) jackets, a commemorative Chevrolet history book, and plenty of handshakes and “thank yous” for bringing the truck back to where it originated. Elmer and his wife also got to take a plant tour to see how far technology has come since their Cheyenne was built.
After much to do, Elmer and his wife headed off to Toronto, Canada, where the pair live. The whole trip to take the truck back “home” and then get home themselves took only six days, but we’re sure that is a trip the couple will be talking about for years to come. What a neat way to celebrate your classic vehicle than to take it on a trip back to where its history began.
[4]The Flint assembly plant has come a long ways since the 70s Cheyenne was built, now running three shifts 24 hours a day to cover production demands.
