It was just asked about chrome on a Paramount that was not listed in that year's catalogs. I would not swear to chrome, but there is no real reason to believe it was not produced in '73 and I believe I have seen at least one other chrome one from that year. It was quite common for them to appear in colors that were not listed in any given year. It seems that they would give folks pretty much what they wanted if they could. Certainly dating one from the components is not possible in any precise way either...Schwinn stockpiled huge amounts of parts and used the same stockpiles for years. As is often the case a new rider of a chrome Paramount is a bit surprised by the ride...I do believe they ride better. There are rumors of one special person building the chrome ones and doing a better job, but I don't know if this a proven thing or not...there are more urban myths about Paramounts than there are about one handed escaped sex offenders with a hook hand that turns up hanging all over. I think all this stuff is just adding to the fun and certainly the confusion of trying to figure out what went on at Paramount. I like them and think they are pretty...so I collect them. Tom Sanders Seriously thinking of making his Chrome Paramount a drillium fantasy (purely for fun! Can I get an "Amen!" for fun?) in Lansing, Mi USA