Up From Clay - A Car is Born in 1959

This is so amazing! My great grandfather is at the 7:00 mark. What a great record.

Back then body styles changed radically every year. Amazing amount of styling, engineering and tooling work to with no CAD.

Wonderful... I have a 1959 Chevrolet Impala, now I know how she was made and all the process... I love it ! Very touching ! (Sorry for my bad english, I'm french)

I looked up the guy narrating. He was only 54 here! He died in 1966 at the age of 61. On a brighter note, terrific video! I was not even age one!

My father, a loyal Chevy guy at the time, purchased a new 1959 Bel Air when I was 3 years old. Dad told me years later that the car was a lemon and he had kept it less than a year. I remember being fascinated by the fins. Still am.

Absolutely fascinating! And to think, they used to change styling every year! The mind boggles.

I finally know how body dies are made and other things. And I love the Ren & Stimpy music.

Beautiful icons of our country's transportation history!

What a magnificent example of brilliant engineering.

The design of the full-size 1959 GM cars (all five divisions) was an expedited engineering program in response to Chrysler Corporation's revolutionary 1957 designs. The original plans were for a warmed over 1958 facelift.

This has to be the best film I've ever seen on the automobile manufacturing process of the era. Impressed immediately by the sound quality, even moreso by the GM Photographic production credits, I'm almost speechless. Thank you for bringing the subject to light. "Up From Clay" should be required viewing for any college or trade school-level automotive course of study, if only to show how handwork was still an important component of the early days of automation. The soft trim section in particular is fascinating with its acres of upholstery and industrial sewing machines. Much of that fabulous, colorful upholstery was woven in long-closed textile mills within an hour of where I live. Anyone remotely interested in old cars and their restoration should watch, also, as it sheds an ironic light on the tired catchphrase, "Restored just as it was from the factory." I mean, doesn't everyone have a couple of giant Danly 2,500-ton presses laying around their shop? Granted, most cars today are restored with time and attention way beyond any factory's scope (that doesn't mean they're better), but "Up From Clay" surely proves the point that, "They're only original once."

We had a 1960 Impala coupe..... white with a red interior

Great video!!! I've always been impressed by the engineers, draftsmen, and workers from WWII to the 60's where they did things with pencil , paper and a slide rule!!!! No computers, CAD, ....they designed, made jigs, made prototypes....for thousands of parts ....and then designed assembly lines...hired workers ...people to design the processes ...and train them !!! Then coordinate all the shipping , stocking , transportation....work schedules, etc. Lets not forget that each brand had dozens of vehicles , and body types in each model (coupes, sedans, 2 doors, 4 doors, convertibles, station wagons , etc).......PLUS ....dozens of interior colors and patterns (not just black or tan!!!)....had to inventory them too...without computers!!! AND ....then changed the COMPLETE DESIGNS EVERY YEAR (bodies, frames , trim, engines, and transmissions, ...every nut and bolt!!!). We need to stop and appreciate they're work , when we see one of these cars ....I do !!! Sadly, most of these people have died ...all thats left is for us to enjoy they're work ...and appreciate what they did! And today we can't get shipping containers unloaded and transferred from ships from China?!

That, is quality craftsmanship! The cars were even a great deal and value. You would think they would cost more with all the goes into them back then.

Man I miss the good ol days.

That's my great grandfather at the 7:00 mark! He was a wonderful man. So cool, thanks for sharing:)

I love the smell of lacquer in the morning never had to buy any alcohol after work used to call that a shot of rhythm and blues and reds and greens and so on and so on everyday I see a rainbow

General Motors was the largest corporation on Earth at the time of this film.

Love the 59 Chevrolet's I had 3 all 2 door Impala's, it was my first car in 1977 I had a 2nd one in 1979 & a 3rd one in 1998. I've owned other cars like the 57 & 60 Chevy's but the 59 is the year that does it for me. The 59's were exhillarating & would make my heart race because they're such a rare site today. I remember as a kid in the 1960's when the 59 Chevrolets were everywhere.

Everybody has wonderful nostalgia for old cars. They completely forget that those cars would be lucky to make it five years before they rusted out or the engine was completely shot or the entire car was completely worn out. Hitting 100k miles was an astonishment back then.