FCA US Jefferson North Plant Produces 6 Millionth Vehicle
DETROIT, May 25, 2016 --
- 2016 Jeep® Grand Cherokee 75th Anniversary Edition marks important milestone
- First vehicle – 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee – rolled off the line on Jan. 14, 1992
- Jefferson North one of three FCA US facilities to call Detroit home
The FCA US Jefferson North Assembly Plant celebrated a significant
milestone today when the 6 millionth vehicle produced at the Detroit facility – a 75th anniversary edition
2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee – rolled off the assembly line. In its 24-year
history, the plant has built enough vehicles to circle the globe one and a
half times.
The 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine of the granite crystal Grand Cherokee
Limited 4x4 roared to life around 8:30 p.m.
as Jefferson North employees performed final
quality checks and prepared it for delivery to a customer in Michigan.
"Reaching this milestone is a reflection of this plant's commitment to
supporting the continued growth of the Jeep brand around the world and
playing a role in the comeback of Detroit," said Curt
Towne, Jefferson North Plant Manager. "Our employees are proud to be
part of this unique time in the history of both the Company and the City.
They understand that not only are they contributing to the success of FCA US, but they are proving that Detroit will always be the Motor City."
To keep up with demand, nearly 4,500 people work at the
3-million-square-foot facility on an alternative work schedule, meaning
three crews work two 10-hour shifts each day, six days a week. It takes a
day and a half for a vehicle to travel from the body shop, where body
panels are welded together, to when the vehicle rolls off the assembly
line. In 2015, the plant produced 365,542 vehicles. Nearly 25 percent of
the plant's production is shipped to 135 markets around the world.
Twenty-four years of vehicle production in Detroit
One of three FCA US manufacturing facilities located in Detroit (the other two are the Conner Avenue
Assembly Plant, home of the Dodge Viper, and the Mack Avenue Engine
Complex), Jefferson North has been pumping
out vehicles since 1992. Chrysler invested $1.2
billion to bring the first Grand Cherokee to market, which included
vehicle research and development, vehicle engineering, and construction of
and equipment for the new Jefferson North
plant. The groundbreaking for the new plant was on May 31, 1989. The first Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled
off the line on Jan. 14, 1992.
In addition to the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jefferson North also produced the Jeep Commander
from 2005-2010 and began production of the Dodge Durango in December 2010. The plant celebrated the 5 millionth
vehicle produced – also a Jeep Grand Cherokee – at the plant on Aug. 13, 2013.
The former Jefferson Assembly Plant, built in 1907 by Chalmers Motor Car
Company, was twice the size of the current plant's original footprint (3.6
million square feet compared to 1.75 million square feet, respectively) and
produced a total of 8,310,107 vehicles in its 83-year history.
Details on the 6 millionth JNAP-built vehicle
In addition to
the standard Trenton, Mich.-built
3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine and Kokomo,
Ind.-built eight-speed transmission, the 6 millionth Grand Cherokee
has the following standard equipment – an 8.4-inch Touch Screen Radio, GPS
navigation, Blind Spot Detection and embossed 75th anniversary logo on the
seat. In addition, the milestone vehicle was ordered with two optional
equipment packages – the 75th Anniversary Luxury group and the Off-Road
Adventure II group. These packages include nine amplified speakers with
subwoofer, dual-pane panoramic sunroof, leather trim seats, ventilated
front seats, Quadra-Drive II 4x4 system, Quadra-Lift air suspension and
trailer tow group.
About Jeep Brand
Built on 75 years of legendary heritage,
Jeep is the authentic SUV with class-leading capability, craftsmanship and
versatility for people who seek extraordinary journeys. The Jeep brand
delivers an open invitation to live life to the fullest by offering a full
line of vehicles that continue to provide owners with a sense of security
to handle any journey with confidence.
The Jeep vehicle lineup consists of the Cherokee, Compass, Grand
Cherokee, Patriot, Renegade, Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited. To meet
consumer demand around the world, all Jeep models sold outside North America are available in both left and
right-hand drive configurations and with gasoline and diesel powertrain
options.
The Jeep brand recorded sales of more than 1.2 million units worldwide
in 2015 – the highest total in its 75-year history – setting a global sales
record for the fourth consecutive year. Sales of 1,237,583 Jeep vehicles
improved upon the brand's 2014 global record of 1,017,019 by 22 percent. In
the U.S., sales of 865,028 units bettered the 2014 total of 692,348 units
by 25 percent.
About FCA US LLC
FCA US LLC is a North American automaker
with a new name and a long history. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, FCA US is a member of the Fiat Chrysler
Automobiles N.V. (FCA) family of companies. FCA
US designs, engineers, manufactures and sells vehicles under the
Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT brands, as well as the SRT performance
vehicle designation. The company also distributes the Alfa Romeo 4C model
and Mopar products. FCA US is building upon
the historic foundations of Chrysler, the innovative American automaker
first established by Walter P. Chrysler in
1925; and Fiat, founded in Italy in 1899
by pioneering entrepreneurs, including Giovanni
Agnelli.
FCA, the seventh-largest automaker in the world based on total annual
vehicle sales, is an international automotive group. FCA is listed on the
New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "FCAU" and on the Mercato
Telematico Azionario under the symbol "FCA."
Follow FCA US news and video
on:
FCA Content On Demand (COD): www.fcacod.com
Company blog:
blog.fcanorthamerica.com
Company website: www.fcanorthamerica.com
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Twitter (Spanish):
www.twitter.com/fcausespanol
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www.youtube.com/pentastarvideo
SOURCE FCA US LLC
CONTACT: Jodi Tinson, (248) 512-2944 (office), (586) 219-0677 (cell), jodi.tinson@fcagroup.com
RELATED LINKShttp://www.fcanorthamerica.com
