Sterling Heights Assembly

Coordinates: 42°34′12″N 83°01′52″W / 42.570°N 83.031°W Sterling Heights Assembly, or Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (SHAP), is an automobile manufacturing factory in Sterling Heights, Michigan currently operated by Chrysler Group LLC. The factory opened in 1953 to produce missiles. The nearby Sterling Stamping opened in 1965. Subsequent to its first plant in the continental United States — Volkswagen Westmoreland Assembly Plant in Pennsylvania — Volkswagen converted the plan for automobile production in 1980, but never manufactured automobiles there, instead selling the plant to Chrysler in 1983.

After the plant was modernized in 2006, the assembly line and tooling for the outgoing Stratus and Sebring were sold to OAO GAZ and shipped to that company's factory in Nizhny Novgorod in Russia. GAZ continued to produce the Stratus under license there through 2010, marketed as the Volga Siber.^[1]

On May 6, 2009 it was announced that the Sterling Heights Assembly plant would close by December 2010^[2] with the adjacent stamping plant to remain open however the decision of the Chrysler board to make the new 200 model allowed it to bring new life into the plant and saved it from being closed .

In 2010 Chrysler purchased the plant from Old Carco LLC for 20 million dollars. The plant will retain its current 1,200 employees.^[3] Chrysler will break ground on a new paint shop at the plant on June 21, 2011. This comes after an announcement of an 850 million dollar investment in October 2010.^[4]

Products Made

• Chrysler 200 (2011–Present)

Former products

• Sterling Heights Assembly
  • Chrysler 200 Convertible (2011-2014)
  • Lancia Flavia (2011-2014)
  • Dodge Avenger (2008-2014)
  • Chrysler Sebring Sedan (2001-2010) and Convertible (1996-2010)
  • Plymouth Breeze (1996-2000)
  • Dodge Stratus (1995-2006)
  • Chrysler Cirrus (1995-2000)
  • Dodge Daytona (1992–1993)
  • Dodge Shadow/Plymouth Sundance (1987–1994)
  • Chrysler LeBaron GTS/Dodge Lancer (1985–1989)
• Sterling Stamping
  • Stamped metal panels

External References

Sterling Heights Assembly history

References

1. "Sterling Heights assembly line to be shipped to Russia". Detroit News. Retrieved April 14, 2006.
2. http://www.canadiandriver.com/2009/05/06/chrysler-to-close-five-plants-in-us.htm
3. "Chrysler purchases mid-size sedan plant from bankrupt Old Carco". leftlanenews. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
4. "Groundbreaking for new Sterling Heights paint shop". allpar. Retrieved 16 June 2011.