HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Newark Assembly was a
Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automotiv ...
( DaimlerChrysler from 1998-2008) factory in
Newark, Delaware Newark ( )Not as in Newark, New Jersey. is a small city in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. It is located west-southwest of Wilmington. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 31,454. Newark is home to the Un ...
built in 1951 to make tanks and later automobiles with production continuing until December 2008. A variety of Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth models were produced at this facility over the years, totaling nearly 7 million cars.


History

Chrysler bought the facility in 1938 to use as a parts depot. Construction began in January 1951 for a plant to produce tanks with the first
M48 Patton The M48 Patton is an American first-generation main battle tank (MBT) introduced in February 1952, being designated as the 90mm Gun Tank: M48. It was designed as a replacement for the M26 Pershing, M4 Sherman, M46 and M47 Patton tanks, and wa ...
driven to Army Ordnance on April 11, 1952. 11,703 M48s were built at the plant between opening and 1959. A five-year phase-out after the Korean War brought the facility and tank production to an end by 1961. The plant also produced M103 heavy tanks. The facility was used for the production of Plymouth and Dodge automobiles starting in 1957. By 1961, construction began on a 1.5 million square foot Plymouth plant where the
Chrysler A platform The Chrysler A platform was the basis for smaller rear wheel drive cars in the 1960s. These cars are sometimes referred to as A-body cars. Cars using the A platform in various markets around the world include: * 1960-1976 Plymouth Valiant * 1960- ...
was used to build Dodge and Plymouth compacts. During the 1990s, a recycling initiative was implemented to reduce the factory's environmental impact as well as to improve the facility's reputation. This was the result of several fires and air pollution from the plant, for which the Environmental Protection Agency fined the automaker. To prepare the Newark plant for the production of the 1997
Dodge Durango The Dodge Durango is a mid-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) produced by Dodge in three generations starting with the 1998 model year. The first two generations were very similar in that both were based on the Dodge Dakota and Ram Pickup, both fe ...
, a sport utility vehicle (SUV) the company invested US$623 million that included a new training facility, production simulation building, a paint shop, as well as upgrades to the test track, a new material handling fleet, and new controls on the assembly line. On February 14, 2007, DaimlerChrysler announced that the plant would lose one working shift in 2007, and that it would be scheduled to be shut down completely in 2009. In October 2008, the company announced that the closure would be moved up to the end of 2008 citing a slowdown in both the economy and demand for large vehicles. Production ended and the neighboring Mopar parts distribution center was also closed in 2008. On October 24, 2009, The University of Delaware announced it had signed a deal to buy the Chrysler facility for US$24.25 million. The property is next to the university's south campus (the main campus is a 1/4-mile north and usually accessible by bus by students). Plans are to use it as a research and development site and for the future expansion of the university. The history department at the University of Delaware and the Hugh M. Morris Library used a class of graduate and undergraduate students to conduct interviews of eleven former autoworkers employed at the Newark Assembly plant. The University has decommissioned the buildings with approximately 90% of the material on the site recycled. The location was developed then for the Science, Technology, and Advanced Research (STAR) campus. In 2012, Bloom Energy, makers of the
Bloom Energy Server The Bloom Energy Server or Bloom Box is a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) power generator made by Bloom Energy, of Sunnyvale, California, that takes a variety of input fuels, including liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons produced from biological sources, ...
held a groundbreaking for a new manufacturing plant at the former auto assembly site. In 2014, the first tenant of a revitalized Chrysler building will be the College of Health Sciences and a health-related complex. On November 19, 2015, the Digital Infrastructure Management company SevOne announced its move to the STAR Campus


Products

*1948-1959
M48 Patton tank The M48 Patton is an American first-generation main battle tank (MBT) introduced in February 1952, being designated as the 90mm Gun Tank: M48. It was designed as a replacement for the M26 Pershing, M4 Sherman, M46 and M47 Patton tanks, and wa ...
*1959–1960 M60 Patton tank, the Tank Plant closed in 1961 *1960–1964 Dodge Dart, Dodge Lancer, Plymouth Valiant *1964–1971
Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automotiv ...
*1974–1975 Dodge Dart, Plymouth Valiant *1976–1980 Dodge Aspen, Plymouth Volare *1977–1980
Chrysler LeBaron The Chrysler LeBaron, also known as the Imperial LeBaron, is a line of automobiles built by Chrysler from 1931-1941 and from 1955-1995. The model was introduced in 1931, with a body manufactured by LeBaron, and competed with other luxury cars o ...
,
Dodge Diplomat The Dodge Diplomat is an American mid-size car that was produced by Dodge from 1977 to 1989. At launch, it shared a common design with the Chrysler LeBaron and for much of its later production run was the counterpart of the Chrysler Fifth Avenu ...
*1981–1988
Dodge Aries The Plymouth Reliant and Dodge Aries are mid size cars introduced for model year 1981 as the first " K-cars" manufactured and marketed by the Chrysler Corporation. The Reliant and Aries were the smallest cars to have the traditional 6 passeng ...
, Plymouth Reliant (sedan and station wagon) *1982–1988 Chrysler Town and Country Wagon *1982–1995
Chrysler LeBaron The Chrysler LeBaron, also known as the Imperial LeBaron, is a line of automobiles built by Chrysler from 1931-1941 and from 1955-1995. The model was introduced in 1931, with a body manufactured by LeBaron, and competed with other luxury cars o ...
The J-body Chrysler LeBaron coupes and convertibles were produced in St. Louis Assembly from 1987 to 1991. For 1992, production was shifted to Newark until production ended in 1993 for the coupe and 1995 for the convertible. (sedan from 1982 to 1988) *1989–1995 Dodge Spirit, Plymouth Acclaim *1992–1995
Chrysler LeBaron The Chrysler LeBaron, also known as the Imperial LeBaron, is a line of automobiles built by Chrysler from 1931-1941 and from 1955-1995. The model was introduced in 1931, with a body manufactured by LeBaron, and competed with other luxury cars o ...
(coupe and convertible) *1994–1996
Chrysler Concorde The Chrysler Concorde is a full-size, front wheel drive four-door sedan that was produced by Chrysler from 1992 to 2004. It assumed the C-body Chrysler New Yorker Salon's position as the entry-level full-size sedan in the Chrysler brand lin ...
, Dodge IntrepidDodge Intrepids and Chrysler Concordes were only built in Newark Assembly from 1994 to 1996. During those years, Newark was an overflow plant for
Brampton Assembly Brampton Assembly Plant is a Stellantis Canada automobile factory located at 2000 Williams Parkway East Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Originally built by American Motors Corporation (AMC) for US$260 million, in the former Bramalea area of Br ...
.
*1998–2009
Dodge Durango The Dodge Durango is a mid-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) produced by Dodge in three generations starting with the 1998 model year. The first two generations were very similar in that both were based on the Dodge Dakota and Ram Pickup, both fe ...
*2007–2009
Chrysler Aspen The Dodge Durango is a mid-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) produced by Dodge in three generations starting with the 1998 model year. The first two generations were very similar in that both were based on the Dodge Dakota and Ram Pickup, both fe ...
::Notes:


See also

*
List of former automotive manufacturing plants List of former automotive manufacturing plants. The table below lists former automotive industry manufacturing factories and facilities. List of plants See also * List of automobile manufacturers * Brownfield land * Ford Piquette Avenue Plant ...


References


External links

{{Chrysler Group LLC assembly plants Chrysler factories Former motor vehicle assembly plants Motor vehicle assembly plants in Delaware Buildings and structures in Newark, Delaware Industrial buildings completed in 1951 1951 establishments in Delaware 2008 disestablishments in Delaware