The Story of Black Beauty

How a childhood dream brought a ’57 Bel Air home to Norway

Owned by Stig A. Haugen #23758849, Trondheim, Norway

Story and photography by Stig A. Haugen

The original owner of Black Beauty, Mr. Anton L. Carlzon of Flint, Michigan, ordered the car the year he retired from General Motors. He followed it down the assembly line as it “got it all together”. Equipped with the 6-cylinder Blue Flame engine and a Powerglide transmission, the Bel Air 4-door sedan was sold via Summerfield Chevrolet in Flint, MI, on July 18, 1957. It bore the plate number KR1535.

Anton and his wife took good care of Black Beauty and drove it just 21,000 miles over the next 23 years – until 1980. The car had always been garage kept and was never driven in rain or snow.