Comparing pictures of the first and last ever Boeing 747s shows how the ‘Queen of the Skies’ evolved over time

When you compare the first and last ever Boeing 747 planes, you’ll realize how much the ‘Queen of the Skies’ has evolved over time.

The Boeing 747 was produced between 1968 and 2023, with 1,574 built in total.

Typically carrying around 366 passengers, these planes will have taken on countless journeys over the years.

But when you look at the first and last one produced, it really just puts into perspective the passage of time.

EXPLORE SBX CARS – Supercar auctions starting soon powered by Supercar Blondie

The Boeing 747 has changed a lot over the years

For aviation fans, Boeing 747s are a special sighting.

They’ve been flying people to vacations for decades – and have occasionally served as wedding venues too!

The Boeing 747 was first conceived after the introduction of the Boeing 707 in October 1958.

Pan Am wanted a plane that 2.5 times the size.

Joe Sutter left the 737 development program in 1965 to begin work on the 747, which first rolled out of the Everett Plant on September 30, 1968.

Vintage newsreel from the day shows what a big deal it was, as hundreds of people turned out for the unveiling.

The 747 was the work of 50,000 people, nicknamed ‘the Incredibles’.

This included construction workers, mechanics, engineers, secretaries, and administrators.

In all, the largest civilian airplane at the time took less than 16 months to build.

Even the building in which it was built was huge in its own right – the assembly plant in Everett, Washington was the world’s largest building by volume at the time.

The original Boeing 747 is an impressive plane in its own right, but the design is very much of its time.

There’s something quintessentially 1960s about it.

747s may have been retired, but they’ll always be remembered

The writing had been on the wall for a while.

As early as 2016, Boeing had been discussing terminating 747 production due to insufficient demand.

It was confirmed in 2020 that the last 747 would be finished in 2022.

And true to word, it was.

It rolled off the production line on December 6, 2022, and was delivered the following month.

In a nice bookend to 54 years of service, Boeing hosted an event at the Everett factory attended by thousands of workers.

There’s no other way of putting it – this plane is simply iconic.

Whether it’s helping Kris Jenner become the woman she is today, or being gifted to the US by the Qatari Royal Family, this plane has a long legacy behind it.

DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie