Among the seven discontinued LEGO colors are Sand Red, Sand Purple, Maersk Blue, Old Light Gray, Old Dark Gray, Old Brown, and Violet.

But today, let’s dive into Chrome Silver—the most iconic and widely recognized color in the chrome-plated parts collection, known for having the largest variety of pieces!

About LEGO Chrome Silver in the chrome-plated color series

In BrickLink’s color system, Chrome Silver has the color ID 22. In LEGO’s official system and on Brickset, it’s called ‘Metalized Silver’ with the color ID 309.

Technically, the English name translates to ‘Chrome-Plated Silver’ or ‘Metalized Silver,’ but for consistency, we’ll continue referring to it as ‘Chrome Silver’ for now.

There are currently only seven chrome-plated colors for LEGO parts: Chrome Gold, Chrome Silver, Chrome Copper, Chrome Black, Chrome Blue, Chrome Green, and Chrome Pink.

Among the chrome-plated LEGO parts, only Chrome Gold is still in regular use. Chrome Silver, the most common chrome-plated color, was discontinued in 2018. The other chrome colors have far fewer parts and were discontinued more than a decade, or even two decades, ago.

When it comes to Chrome Silver, the most memorable parts are probably the cars from older LEGO sets. Some of these cars came from the classic Town series, while others were part of the Model Team line. Many fans also have Chrome Silver weapons from the Castle series.

And we can’t forget this piece—every Star Wars fan will know that the lightsaber hilt in the older LEGO Star Wars sets used to be chrome-plated.

Information about LEGO Chrome Silver

There are 105 types of LEGO Chrome Silver parts, featured in 561 LEGO sets.

According to BrickLink, Chrome Silver parts first appeared in a LEGO set in 1966. After reviewing over 160 sets from 1966, I couldn’t find any with Chrome Silver parts—maybe I missed something… It’s quite a mystery!

As for the last LEGO set to include a Chrome Silver part, it was released in 2018. But with over 700 sets that came out that year, let’s move on to something else!

Chrome plating reflects light like a mirror, unlike regular silver, which isn’t as shiny. By electroplating chrome onto the surface of the parts using chemical solutions, you get that mirror-like finish.

Chrome plating involves applying a single layer of chromium metal, just a few microns or more, to the surface of the part. This gives it excellent wear resistance, and the surface becomes smooth and even, with strong anti-corrosion properties, making rust unlikely. After all, chromium offers better rust protection than zinc.

Of course, chrome plating has its downsides. The biggest issue is the high cost—not only is chromium expensive, but the electroplating process also adds several extra steps to production.

That said, I’m not familiar with the exact methods or processes LEGO uses to produce chrome-plated parts, so I can’t provide a more detailed analysis on this matter.

Additionally, chrome plating increases the thickness of the part’s surface, even though it’s very thin. You can still feel a slight tightness when assembling pieces. This makes it less suitable for parts with complex surface designs or too many connection points. Chrome-plated LEGO parts tend to fit a bit more snugly.

Chrome plating on ABS plastic parts isn’t very durable, as many fans are likely aware of the fragility of such pieces. With normal use, chrome-plated parts are easily scratched or scuffed, causing the finish to wear off and giving them a battle-worn appearance.

For example, take a look at the image below.

Despite the drawbacks, Chrome Silver parts can really elevate MOC creations. For example, in the 2021 LEGO IDEAS set 40448 Vintage Car, fan designer Versteinert’s original model made great use of Chrome Silver parts, giving the car a retro, stylish look that’s both eye-catching and timeless.

In their revisions, the LEGO IDEAS team removed all the chrome-plated parts from the model, replacing them one by one with light gray pieces. Personally, I’m not a fan of this change.

Does this mean LEGO is done with Chrome Silver for good? It’s hard to say, but based on current information, the last known appearance of Chrome Silver parts was indeed in 2018.

LEGO Chrome Silver Sets and Parts

As I mentioned earlier, there are 105 types of LEGO Chrome Silver parts, and 561 sets that include Chrome Silver pieces. Since it’s impossible to introduce them all, let’s highlight a few notable sets as examples.

LEGO 4620 Jack Stone AIR Operations HQ

This set was released in 2002 as part of the Jack Stone series, a rather obscure line that many may not be familiar with. If I remember correctly, this series was later merged into the ‘Lego 4+’ theme in 2003, also known as ‘Lego 4 Juniors.’ If anyone knows more about the history of this series, feel free to share in the comments.

The set includes 170 pieces and 5 minifigures. However, the minifigures are not the type we typically think of…

The propeller below is the only Chrome Silver part in this set, and there are two of them included. However, this Chrome Silver propeller is not exclusive to this set; it appears in a total of three different sets.

LEGO SystemModel Team Big Foot 4×4 5561

Set 5561 is part of the LEGO Model Team series, released in 1997, and is called Big Foot 4×4. The set includes 749 pieces and 0 minifigures. Yes, zero minifigures—Model Team sets were notoriously stingy in that regard.

The reason LEGO Model Team sets didn’t include minifigures is that the models were large-scale vehicles, similar in size to medium-sized Technic sets. They’re comparable to today’s ICONS (or Creator Expert) large vehicle models.

Got a bit sidetracked—let’s get back to today’s topic. This set has quite a lot of LEGO Chrome Silver parts. A total of 2+4+4+4+4+4+2+4 = 28 pieces!

LEGO Ferrari Finish Line 8672

This set was released in 2006 as part of the LEGO RACERS series, containing 530 pieces and 10 minifigures. The RACERS series was introduced by the LEGO Group in 2002 and was discontinued in 2014. The following year, in 2015, the SPEED Champions series was launched.

The only Chrome Silver part in this set is the trophy piece, numbered 72092 (Scala Trophy). This part appears in only three sets, the other two being 3124 and 8389. By the way, 3124 is a rather unusual LEGO set—feel free to look it up if you’re curious!

LEGO Weapon Lightsaber Hilt Angled Part x156

For the fourth item, we won’t be discussing a set. In the LEGO Star Wars series, Count Dooku’s lightsaber is different from the regular lightsaber hilt pieces. But what stands out is that it’s Chrome Silver.

This lightsaber hilt part appears in only five sets:

LEGO 10026 Special Edition Naboo Starfighter

As the grand finale for today’s Chrome Silver parts, it has to be the LEGO 10026 Special Edition Naboo Starfighter from the Star Wars series. This set, the smallest UCS (Ultimate Collector’s Series) set in the LEGO Star Wars line, contains just 187 pieces—but that’s not the most amazing part.

What’s truly impressive is that the set includes 12 LEGO Chrome Silver parts across 8 different types, all of which are exclusive to this set!

Final Words

It’s now been six years since the LEGO Group last produced Chrome Silver parts. When exploring the reasons, it undoubtedly comes down to factors like cost, quality control, and durability. However, the biggest reason is likely related to sustainability and environmental considerations.

These days, it’s not impossible for fans to get LEGO chrome-plated parts. Almost any LEGO piece can be custom chrome-plated. Many small chrome-plating shops, chemical plating manufacturers, or individual enthusiasts offer custom chrome-plating services.

When it comes to custom LEGO chrome-plated parts, the colors aren’t limited to just Chrome Silver—you can even achieve a dazzling rainbow of black.

That’s all for today’s discussion on Chrome Silver parts. As a fellow LEGO enthusiast, do you know anything about this color that I haven’t covered? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!