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Viper production began in May 1992 at the
New Mack Assembly Plant, then moved to the
Conner Avenue site (above) in October 1995.
All Vipers that rolled off the line were
hand-built in a low-volume, modular process.
Over the course of 15 years, Conner Avenue
employees built about 12 vehicles a day for
a total of 22,070 Vipers. |
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Chrysler
Group announced today that it will reopen its Conner
Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit for the production of
the next generation SRT Viper: with the plant’s
reopening, nearly 150 jobs, both hourly and salaried,
will return to the City of Detroit. The Conner facility
was idled when production of the Dodge Viper ended in
July 2010.
“The next generation Viper will make its return to the
product lineup in late 2012 as a [Model Year] 2013
model,” said Ralph Gilles, President and Chief Executive
Officer - SRT brand and Motorsports, Chrysler Group.
“We’re extremely excited that our ultimate American
sports car will continue to live on and be produced
exclusively here in the Motor City.”
Current Chrysler Group hourly employees who previously
worked at Conner were first offered the opportunity to
return to their home plant. The balance of the positions
will be filled by hourly employees volunteering to
transfer to the Conner Avenue plant.
Conner Avenue will begin building the new Viper late
next year, but employees began reporting for training
and orientation this fall.
In preparation for the reopening, the Conner facility
will begin its transformation by implementing World
Class Manufacturing (WCM), a system that is focused on
reducing waste and making continuous improvements
throughout the assembly process to improve quality and
productivity.
Viper production began in May 1992 at the New Mack
Assembly Plant, then moved to the Conner Avenue site in
October 1995. All Vipers that rolled off the line were
hand-built in a low-volume, modular process. Over the
course of 15 years, Conner Avenue employees built about
12 vehicles a day for a total of 22,070 Vipers.
The reopening of the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant
reaffirms Chrysler Group’s commitment to the City of
Detroit as the only auto manufacturer with two assembly
plants in the city.
Conner Avenue Assembly Plant
The Conner Avenue Assembly Plant was built in
1966 and purchased by Chrysler in 1995. Viper production
began in May 1992 at the New Mack Assembly Plant and was
moved to Conner Avenue in October 1995. Prowler
production began in May 1997 and ended in February 2002.
Viper V-10 Engine production was transferred from Mound
Road Engine to Conner Assembly in May 2001. In 2003, the
newly engineered SRT10 Roadster hit the market and the
SRT10 Coupe followed in 2005. With a production run of
28,056, Viper production ended on July 2, 2010. As a
result, the facility was idled.
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