Some time around the second half of the 80's chrome started to really dissappear from bikes. Supposedly because of the hazardous waste that the chroming process produces. There are a lot of nice bikes though from that hardly or did not have any chrome at all, like most of the American "artisanal" bikes, Masis, De Rosas...etc., which In many cases I prefer, because these chromeless bikes do not depend on the blinggy stuff to look beautiful. They are just built beautifully.