Newark Assembly

Newark Assembly was a Chrysler (DaimlerChrysler from 1998-2007) automobile factory in Newark, Delaware.

Closed Office Building (April 2009)

History

Chrysler bought the facility in 1938 to use as a parts depot.[1] Construction began in January 1951 for a plant to produce tanks with the first M48 Patton driven to Army Ordnance on April 11, 1952.[2] A five-year phase-out after the Korean War brought the facility and tank production to an end by 1961.[1] 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.[1]

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

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.[3]

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.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6]

The University has decommissioned and developed the site as its Science, Technology, and Advanced Research (STAR) campus.[7] In 2012, Bloom Energy, makers of the Bloom Energy Server held groundbreaking for a new manufacturing plant at the former auto assembly site.[8] In 2014, the first tenant of a revitalized Chrysler building will be the College of Health Sciences and a health-related complex.[9]

On November 19, 2015, the Digital Infrastructure Management company SevOne announced its move to the STAR Campus [10]

Products

Facility viewed from Amtrak train (May 2010)

• 1948-1959 M48 Patton tank
• 1959–1960 M60 Patton tank[11] Tank Plant closed in 1961,[12]
• 1960–1964 Dodge Dart, Dodge Lancer, Plymouth Valiant[13]
• 1964–1971 Chrysler[13]
• 1974–1975 Dodge Dart, Plymouth Valiant
• 1976–1980 Dodge Aspen, Plymouth Volare
• 1977–1980 Chrysler LeBaron, Dodge Diplomat
• 1981–1988 Dodge Aries, Plymouth Reliant (sedan and station wagon)
• 1982–1988 Chrysler Town and Country Wagon
• 1982–1995 Chrysler LeBaron [note 1] (sedan from 1982 to 1988)
• 1989–1995 Dodge Spirit, Plymouth Acclaim
• 1992–1995 Chrysler LeBaron (coupe and convertible) [13]
• 1994–1996 Chrysler Concorde, Dodge Intrepid [note 2][14]
• 1998–2009 Dodge Durango[15]
• 2007–2009 Chrysler Aspen[15]

Notes:

1. 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.
2. 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.

See also

• List of former automotive manufacturing plants

References

1. Mize, Thomas. "Chrysler's Newark Plant (Delaware), 1951-2008 (Tanks to Aspens)". allpar.com. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
2. "Chrysler Delaware Tank Plant". www.pencaderheritage.org. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
3. "Chrysler Group Recovery and Transformation Plan Seeks Return to Profitability, Redesigns Business Model" (Press release). Daimler AG. 14 February 2007. Archived from the original on 14 February 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
4. "Chrysler cutting 1,825 jobs with moves at 2 plants". mlive.com. Associated Press. 23 October 2008. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
5. Bunkley, Nick (26 October 2009). "Fisker to Make Plug-in Hybrids at Former G.M. Plant". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
6. "Chrysler Corporation Newark Assembly Plant oral history collection". University of Delaware Library. 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
7. "URS to decommission former Chrysler plant for science, technology campus" (Press release). University of Delaware. 16 August 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
8. "STAR in Bloom: University, state officials welcome Bloom Energy to UD's STAR Campus". University of Delaware. 30 April 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
9. "Health Sciences Complex – January 2014". University of Delaware. 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
10. "SevOne Opens Technology and Innovation Center on University of Delaware STAR Campus". SevOne. 2015. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
11. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_m60patton.html
12. url=http://www.allpar.com/corporate/factories/newark.html
13. Mize, Thomas. "Chrysler's Newark Plant (Delaware), 1951-2008 (Tanks to Aspens)". allpar.com. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
14. Adler, Alan L. (18 November 1992). "Chrysler Gives Delaware Plant Reprieve With Intrepid Production" (Press release). Associated Press. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
15. Tadesse, Luladey B. (8 January 2007). "Del. leaders travel to Detroit to plea with Chrysler chief". Delaware News-Journal. Retrieved 15 July 2013.