General Motors was the largest car manufacturing corporation in the world in the 1960s, and the assembly of the 100 millionth General Motors vehicle, a marina blue 1967 Chevrolet Caprice with a soft black top and complementary blue interior, was a significant milestone which demonstrated the company’s power and prestige during its golden age of production. Made at the Janesville GM Assembly Plant, and now housed at the Rock County Historical Society, the car has stickers on both the driver’s and passenger’s door which read, “100 Millionth General Motors car,” showing how this car has always been celebrated for the accomplishment it was. With only 1,600 miles on the odometer, it’s in essentially the same condition it was when it rolled off the line. While this car, as a showpiece, demonstrates the success of General Motors and the Janesville Assembly Plant, as a representative example of the vehicles produced there, it also offers a view into automobile culture of the 1960s.

The 100,000,000 vehicle produced at the Janesville GM Plant, a Chevrolet Caprice, rolled off the assembly line in 1967. Photograph by John Lloyd.

The sticker affixed to the passenger-side door designates this as the 100,000,000 vehicle. Photo from www.curbsideclassic.com

The 1967 Caprice demonstrates the classic 1960s automobile style and the promotion of luxury for middle-class Americans. The Caprice, Chevy’s full-sized flagship car, exemplifies what is referred to as a land yacht, a luxury car known for its large size; long, boxy body; comfortable interior; and amazing riding comfort–land yachts were designed to float down the road much like a boat in water. The Caprice was around 17 feet long, which is exceptionally long for a two-door car (or a coupe). An advertisement for the Caprice from a National Geographic magazine states, “It looks and behaves like costly cars. But it’s different. You could fly to Europe and back on the difference.” Throughout most of its history, Chevrolet has been seen as a more accessible brand, not as a luxury car producer, but the Caprice was marketed as an affordable luxury car which gave customers the same experience for less. The advertisement also states that the Caprice is an elegant, expensive-looking and riding car. The chrome trim on the outside of the car gives it an elegant and expensive look, while long door armrests, a fold-down center armrest, bench seating, a newly redesigned instrument panel, and soundproofing give the car its riding comfort.

The 100,000,000th vehicle, photographed in 1967. Photograph from the Rock County Historical Society.

The car photographed as it came off the assembly line. Photograph from the Rock County Historical Society.

Photographed in the car are (left to right) GM President James M. Roche, Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Jack Olson, Fisher Plant Manager W.C. Davey and Chevrolet Plant Manager Emmett Adams. Photograph from the Rock County Historical Society.

Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Jack B. Olson and GM President Jack Roche pose as they affix the license plate to the 100,000,000 vehicle. Photograph from the Rock County Historical Society.

The 100 millionth car is fully loaded with an eight-track player and an air conditioning system, optional features in the 1967 Caprice. Air conditioning was only in about half of all American vehicles, adding to the car’s comfort and luxurious feel. The luxurious Caprice showcases luxury car features of the 1960s at a fraction of the price.

The production of the 100 millionth car in Janesville demonstrated the output of both the Janesville Plant and General Motors more broadly. Founded in 1908, GM built its 50 millionth vehicle, a gold 1955 Chevrolet Bel-Air, and production increased exponentially as they rolled out the 100 millionth vehicle only twelve years later, more than tripling their production from the early 20th century and demonstrating just how large and influential General Motors had become. General Motors got so large that by 1962, 51% of all cars made in the US were GM vehicles. The event for producing the 100 millionth car was enormous. Production ceased at the plant so that all of the employees could take part in the celebration, and GM invited 200 company officers, politicians, and business leaders to attend. The President of General Motors, James M. Roche, and Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor, Jack Olson, together affixed custom Wisconsin license plates that read “GM 100.”

Of course, the achievements of GM would not have been possible without their employees, like the workers in Janesville who produced 6 million of the company’s first 100 million cars. The 100 millionth vehicle represents a significant number of vehicles and the rate at which vehicles were being made, which was an industrial success in its own right, showing just how powerful GM was in the 1960s. It also represents a bygone era as the oil crisis in the 1970s made land yachts a very unaffordable commodity. The oil crisis ceased production of land yachts, as later versions of the Chevrolet Caprice were downsized. Advertisements for Caprices after 1977, the year it was downsized, still detailed the luxurious features of the car but also addressed its fuel economy numbers, it represented a shift in America after the Oil Crisis where manufactures became more concerned with efficiency changing the landscape of cars. The land yachts represented an era where luxury was at the forefront, alongside the design of the cars, these factors made it an iconic part of the 1960s and early 1970s.

Written by Gabriel Corro, December 2024.

Sources

Danillo Almeida, “Land Yachts Are a Type of Luxury Cars We’ll Never See Again.” Medium, December 12, 2021. https://danilloalmeida.medium.com/land-yachts-8fb1ba0084bb.

“Chevrolet Caprice – 1st Gen (1966 to 1970).” Classic.com. Accessed June 27, 2024.https://www.classic.com/m/chevrolet/caprice/1st-gen/

“City Celebrates GM’s Milestone.” Janesville Gazette. April 21, 1967.

Mike Dupre, “GM has long, rich history in Janesville.” McClatchy – Tribune Business News; June 3, 2008.

“GM Celebrates 100 Millionth u.s.-Made Car | April 21, 1967.” History.com. Accessed June 27, 2024. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gm-celebrates-100-millionth-u-s-made-car.

Mike Hockett, “Today in Manufacturing History: GM Celebrates 100 Millionth Car Made in U.S.” Manufacturing.net, August 6, 2018. https://www.manufacturing.net/automotive/blog/13193193/today-in-manufacturing-history-gm-celebrates-100-millionth-car-made-in-us

Caitie O’Neill, “1967 Chevrolet Caprice: GM’s 100 Millionth Car.” Sloan Museum and Longway Planetarium. Accessed July 14, 2024. https://sloanlongway.org/1967-chevrolet-caprice-gms-100-millionth-car/.

Blake Z. Rong, “Nearly Fifty Years Ago, GM Built Its 100 Millionth Car.” Road and Track, 2016. https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/news/a28920/nearly-fifty-years-ago-gm-built-its-100-millionth-car/.

Angelo Van Bogart, “The 100 Millionth GM Car Finds Its Way Back Home.” oldcarsweekly.com, May 16, 2024. https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/news/the-100-millionth-gm-car-finds-its-way-back-home.

Rock County Historical Society

Research for this object and it’s related stories was supported by the Rock County Historical Society in Janesville, Wisconsin. Visit their website to plan your visit!