Newark Assembly

Closed Office Building (April 2009)

Newark Assembly was a Chrysler automobile factory in Newark, Delaware.

History

The factory opened in 1951 as a tank plant and was converted for the production of Plymouth and Dodge automobiles in 1957.

A variety of Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth models were produced at this facility over the years, totaling nearly 7 million cars.^[1]

To prepare the Newark plant for production of the 1997 Dodge Durango, 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 1.2-mile (2 km) test track, a new material handling fleet, and new controls on the assembly line.^[1]

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.^[2]

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.^[3] The neighboring Mopar parts distribution center also closed in 2008.^[1]

On October 24, 2009, The University of Delaware announced it had signed a deal to buy the 272-acre (1.10 km²; 0.425 sq mi) Chrysler facility for US$24.25 million.^[4] 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.^[5]

Products

Facility viewed from Amtrak train (May 2010)

• 1974–1977 Dodge Monaco
• 1976–1980 Dodge Aspen
• 1981–1988 Dodge Aries (sedan and station wagon)
• 1981–1988 Plymouth Reliant (sedan and station wagon)
• 1982–1988 Chrysler Town and Country
• 1982–1995 Chrysler LeBaron** (sedan from 1982 to 1988)
• 1989–1995 Dodge Spirit
• 1989–1995 Plymouth Acclaim
• 1994–1996 Chrysler Concorde*
• 1994–1996 Dodge Intrepid*
• 1998–2009 Dodge Durango^[6]
• 2007–2009 Chrysler Aspen^[6]

* Dodge 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.

** 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.

See also

• List of former automotive manufacturing plants

References

Coordinates: 39°39′50″N 75°45′40″W / 39.664°N 75.761°W / 39.664; -75.761