101 year old former Chief Engineer and Chevy Trucks
 

From the GM internal news site:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/chevy...ry?id=54284456

"In January 2018, Chevrolet celebrated 100 years of truck production, having built more than 85 million trucks in the past century. For that we thank the thousands of employees who have helped build the most dependable, longest-lasting full-size trucks on the road.

To further celebrate Chevy Trucks’ centennial and the employees who helped us achieve this momentous occasion, we sent Eric Stanczak, chief engineer of Full-Size Trucks, to Savannah, Georgia, to meet with a very special man named Paul Hitch.

Paul was a Chevrolet engineer from 1935 to 1977, and, most notably, was chief engineer of Chevy Trucks from 1966 to 1972. In March 2018, he celebrated his 101st birthday!"

K

This version is a little longer:

https://gm.mc.wg1.kontiki.com/global...7-905fc0891f25


Mr Hitch comments that his favorite product that he worked on was the '73 Chevy pickup, and talks briefly about coming up with the original Chevy Blazer.

K

Wow, quite a run, Keith! And still in mint shape - could've mixed-in an extra career '77-onward!!

Agree - I'll have 39 years this summer and I feel like I'm just now getting the hang of this...

(I've got a ways to go before 101, though).

K

Wow that guy is sharp for 101!
Very cool story

That is way cool. I have been with GM for 14 years and I can't even imagine what that guy has seen!

Wow!! :worship:

I have a friend I graduated high school with and he started with Chevy at the Flint engine plant on his 18th birthday. He later transferred to Buick City in Flint and recently celebrated his 52nd year with GM.

Congrats to this gentleman, I can't imagine....

Great video - thanks for posting it Keith. I transferred to Chev R&D in 1976, so I just missed Paul's tenure.

Appreciate the comments -

My dad hired in at the Flint Engine plant in about 1955. He made it 89 days before he got laid off (you became a permanent employee after 90 days). He then hired in at Chevy Flint Manufacturing, got an apprenticeship, and finished out 32 years there.

I have a family friend that worked and retired from the V8 plant, named Denny Kloha. He likes to say "I've built more engines than you have even seen!"

I started at Chevrolet Flint Assembly in June of '79; I was still a couple months shy of my 18th birthday. Moved into Engineering in 1986. The day I started in Engineering was the day they split the truck team into the new GMT400 group and the carryover C/K/R/V group.

I had no idea what was happening. My only thought was "PLEASE don't send me back to the assembly plant!"

K