Chrysler gets back into production
June 18, 2009 by David Twomey
Just a week after it finalised the deal with Italian carmaker Fiat that allowed it to move out of bankruptcy, Chrysler Group LLC has said it will restart seven of its North American plants the week of June 29.
The plants, which have been closed since Chrysler filed for bankruptcy on April 30, will open to finish production of 2009 models and close for the previously announced summer shutdown the weeks of July 13 and July 20, the company said in a statement.
After retooling for the 2010 models, the factories will reopen — possibly on a staggered schedule.
Chrysler’s powertrain, stamping, casting and transmission plants will reopen June 29 to support the seven plants.
Three assembly plants will reopen later: Toledo North (Jeep Liberty, Dodge Nitro); Belvidere, Illinois, (Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass Jeep Patriot); and Saltillo, Mexico (Dodge Ram 1500 and Ram heavy duty models).
“We’ll announce the remaining plants at a later date,” said Dianna Gutierrez, a Chrysler spokeswoman.
Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy on June 9 under a new management team controlled by Italian carmaker Fiat S.p.A., which holds an initial 20 per cent stake in the US automaker.
The following plants will reopen June 29: Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, which builds Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger; Warren Truck Assembly Plant, which builds Dodge Ram and Dodge Dakota; St. Louis North Assembly Plant, which builds Dodge Ram; Toledo Supplier Park, which builds Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Wrangler Unlimited; Brampton Assembly Plant, which builds Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Challenger; Windsor Assembly Plant, which builds Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan; and Toluca Assembly Plant, Mexico, which builds Dodge Journey and Chrysler PT Cruiser.
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*****PRIMO!*****
That’s great news, has FIAT made any mention of what is the car-plan, whats going to be made and where, what is going to be killed off etc?
When will the all-new class leading Pentastar V6 be fitted to the Fiat/AlfaRomeo/Lancia range?
What about MultiAir [Good story right there for you C/A] will all engines have this brilliant engineered technology fitted to all units?
Will C be the new importer for Fiat/AlfaRomeo in Oz?
Will Lancia be made in RHD form as promised?
So many many questions need anwsers!
Anyway GREAT news that a American icon is trading again!
Cheers
F-0
This reminds me of Simpsons when the nuclear power plants came back online and electricity was restored to the city and the fake vomit factories went back into production with everyone cheering.
Thank the lord of automobiles that they will still be producing at the Brampton Plant where they make the 300 C.
Yhis car would have to be the best thing to come from the states in decades.
When I grow up I wanna be a gangsta !!!!!!!!!!!
FrugalOne
Phewwww….so many questions who knows for now. Right hand drive Lancia Delta with Multi Air technology is a nice c/d segment car.
Sergio Marchionne has turned Fiat aroung in just 3 short years from the brink of bankrupct to Europes fastest growing brand…clean and efficient innovative engine technologies.
They were listed as No9 4 years ago and today they are Europes no 4th largest and growing.
They know what they are doing and I’m sure a rear wheel drive Alfa will emerge ..thanks to Chrysley platforms etc
It will be interesting….Cheers
Long live big petrol guzzlerz,slurp slurp.
FIAT & C Group plans…..
For those that are interested:
The Alfa 169 will be built at the Bramalea Production facility in Brampton, Ontario on the LX platform that also underpins the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger. Production will begin in November 2011 for model year (MY) 2012.
The start of production of the Dodge Charger ‘11 has been delayed to November 2010, and the Chrysler 300 ‘11 is delayed until January 2011 because of the plant closures in 2009 resulting from the bankruptcy of Chrysler LLC.
The Fiat 500 will be produced in Toluca, Mexico for sale in the United States beginning in July 2011. The Fiat 500 is built on the 169 platform and is expected to reach a sales volume of 25,000 units in 2015. The Fiat 500 will be the only Fiat-badged model sold in the United States. It is a subcompact that competes with the MINI.
Also being produced in Toluca on the 169 platform will be the Jeep Panda. Production will begin in July 2011, with expected volumes of 35,000 units per year. The Jeep Panda will be based on the Fiat Panda Cross that is sold worldwide with annual volume of 200,000 units in 2009.
The next-generation Dodge Journey will be built on the Fiat C-EVO platform at the Toluca Assembly Plant beginning in April 2011.
In addition to the Dodge Journey, the replacement for the Chrysler Sebring, known as the Chrysler Mid-Sedan, will begin production in Toluca in June 2011 on the Fiat C-EVO platform.
The Alfa Romeo GTX will be built at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant beginning in July 2011. It will be built on the WL platform that also underpins the Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Alfa GTX will be sold worldwide with expected sales volumes of 30,000 units per year.
The next-generation Dodge Caliber will be built on the Fiat C-EVO platform at the Belvidere Assembly Plant. Production will begin in July 2012.
Production and sales of the Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot will end in 2012.
Production of the Dodge Hornet (Fiat based) will begin at the Belvidere Assembly Plant in March 2011. It will be built on the Fiat 199 platform. The Hornet is a subcompact that was to be supplied by Nissan, but the relationship between Chrysler and Fiat places the agreement with Nissan in jeopardy.
Production of the Alfa Romeo MiTo for sales in North America will begin in July 2011 at the Belvidere Assembly Plant. The Alfa MiTo will be built on the Fiat 199 platform that will also underpin the Dodge Hornet. The Alfa MiTo is a three-door hatchback with sporty styling.
The next-generation Jeep Liberty will begin production in Toledo, Ohio during July 2012. The Liberty will be built on the Fiat-based C-EVO platform.
The Alfa SUV-C also will be produced in Toledo on the C-EVO platform.
I’m glad that they are reopening those engine assembly plants. As they continue to give high-end consumers the best cars that they need, they can again give jobs to thousands of people at those location.