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104-461: The site was originally a factory for Dodge , known alternately as Dodge Main or simply the Dodge Factory . It opened in 1911 and operated continually until the 1970s when diminishing demand led to the site increasingly being used for secondary roles. In 1979 it was announced it would be closed, which occurred early in 1980. The site was dormant until 1981, when GM purchased it for $ 1 with plans for

208-424: A Cadillac Eldorado . Over the next 35 years it built vehicles for GM's Chevrolet , GMC and Cadillac divisions, originally known as "BOC" for Buick/Oldsmobile/Cadillac, but two of those nameplates have since been discontinued. In early 2017 it had approximately 1,800 hourly and salaried employees, and 924 in late 2022. Since opening in 1985, more than 4 million vehicles have been built at the plant. As of May 2020,

312-517: A Dodge touring car to keep abreast of army columns and control their movements. During an incident in May, the 6th Infantry reported a sighting of Julio Cárdenas , one of Villa's most trusted subordinates. Lt. George S. Patton led ten soldiers and two civilian guides in three Dodge Model 30 touring cars to conduct America's first motorized military raid at a ranch house in San Miguelito, Sonora . During

416-544: A cafeteria for office and plant employees, complete with a fully equipped kitchen; a smaller facility in Plant 4 prepared hot food for distribution directly to the factory areas via small trolleys. The factory was approximately two miles south of Lynch Road Assembly , which built Plymouth products exclusively until 1962. When the Chrysler C platform was introduced in 1965, the factory manufactured Dodge and Plymouth products that shared

520-686: A complete medical facility, with doctors and nurses on duty at all times, an efficient plant security department, and a well-equipped firefighting department with direct contact with the local Hamtramck Fire Department. The plant included a "welfare department" that looked after workers’ social needs and, reflecting the innovative nature of the Dodge brothers, a machine shop they called "the Playpen," where employees who wanted to fix or invent things could indulge in their ideas after hours. The facility had an executive dining room for senior plant and corporate officials and

624-537: A head in 1979 when Chrysler's new chairman, Lee Iacocca , requested and received federal loan guarantees from the United States Congress to save the company from having to file for bankruptcy. With a Federal Loan in hand, Chrysler quickly set to work on new models that would leave the past behind, while reorganizing to pay the government loan which stood at 29%. The Dodge Mirada was a mid-sized , rear-wheel drive coupe manufactured and marketed by Dodge from

728-529: A large factory complex covering the original Dodge site and a number of surrounding parcels of land. These included Detroit's Poletown neighbourhood, which had been a location for immigration from Poland and other countries. Attempts to stop these neighbourhoods from being demolished led to several court cases, which GM won. The new plant replaced GM's Detroit Assembly , which had been the primary facility for all Cadillacs starting in 1921. The new factory officially produced its first vehicle on 4 February 1985,

832-410: A lower-cost alternative to DeSoto. For 1930, Dodge took another step up by adding a new eight-cylinder line to replace the existing Senior six-cylinder. This basic format of a dual line with Six and Eight models continued through 1933, and the cars were gradually streamlined and lengthened in step with prevailing trends of the day. The Dodge Eight was replaced by a larger Dodge DeLuxe Six for 1934, which

936-525: A new automobile plant. The boundaries of Poletown East as defined by the city's planning and development department include the city of Hamtramck, St. Aubin Street and I-94 to the north, I-75 to the east, Warren Avenue to the south, and Mt. Elliot Street to the east. West of St. Aubin and south of I-94, as well as well as the area north of I-94 between St. Aubin and Mt. Elliott, are industrial in nature. The area bound by St. Aubin, I-94, Mt. Elliott and Warren

1040-542: A period when Chrysler was in deep financial difficulty. The first fruit of Chrysler's crash development program was the " K-Car ", the Dodge version of which was the Dodge Aries . This basic and durable front-wheel drive platform spawned a whole range of new models at Dodge during the 1980s, including the groundbreaking Dodge Caravan . Lee Iacocca and Hal Sperlich developed their idea for this type of vehicle during their tenure at Ford Motor Company. Henry Ford II rejected

1144-462: A refreshing for 1942. However, just after the 1942 models were introduced, Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor forced the shutdown of Dodge's passenger car assembly lines in favor of war production in February 1942. 1941 saw the introduction of Fluid Drive for Dodge cars, which eliminated stalling or bucking if the clutch was released too quickly. This feature put a fluid coupling in between the engine and

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1248-513: A sales leader and a winner on the NASCAR circuit. This style dominated the racetracks for four years and the aerodynamic improvements changed the face of NASCAR racing. Full-size models evolved gradually during this time. After Dodge dealers complained about not having a true full-size car in the fall of 1961, the Custom 880 was hurried into production. The Custom 880 used the 1962 Chrysler Newport body with

1352-424: A single series of six-cylinder models with two trim levels (basic Deluxe or plusher Custom). From 1949 until 1954, Fluid Drive could be combined with "Gyro-Matic," a semi-automatic transmission that reduced (but did not eliminate) the need to shift gears. Styling was not initially Dodge's strong point during this period, but began to change by 1953 under the direction of corporate design chief Virgil Exner . However,

1456-552: A small minority as if they represented the entire neighborhood. The controversy led to national news attention and the involvement of Ralph Nader and the Gray Panthers . Protests centered around the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church. The Detroit Archdiocese supported the relocations and had already agreed to sell the two Catholic churches that were in the area. However, Joseph Karasiewicz,

1560-562: Is a neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan , bordering the enclave city of Hamtramck . The area was named after the Polish immigrants who originally lived in the area. A portion of residential area known as Poletown became the General Motors Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant in 1981 with those residents relocated by General Motors and the cities of Detroit and Hamtramck which claimed eminent domain in order to make way for

1664-408: Is a legitimate use of eminent domain. Detroit Mayor Coleman Young sided with GM, seeking new jobs and investments for the struggling area. The site is near (south) of another GM facility at the time, called Chevrolet Gear & Axle Division, which itself was the combination of two former factories, called Detroit Gear and Axle and Detroit Forge, which had occupied the location at Holbrook Avenue to

1768-528: Is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis North America , based in Auburn Hills , Michigan . Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars , and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above Plymouth . Founded as the Dodge Brothers Company machine shop by brothers Horace Elgin Dodge and John Francis Dodge in the early 1900s, Dodge

1872-549: Is largely residential. The boundaries of historical Poletown included the Hamtramck city line, Gratiot Avenue, and a line from Mt. Elliott to the intersection of Canfield and St. Antoine, the location of the Detroit Medical Center . Poletown was settled in the 1870s when the first waves of Polish and Kashubian immigrants came to Detroit, and served as the heart of Detroit's Polish community for many years. The nucleus of

1976-565: The Cadillac CT6 and then the third-generation Buick LaCrosse . In December 2016, GM announced they would soon eliminate the second shift and 1,300 jobs at the plant, less than twelve months after the second shift was added. Then in October 2017, GM indicated there would be an additional reduction in production at the plant, citing falling sales and excess inventory of sedans (which were made there), resulting in about 200 additional jobs lost. In 2018

2080-589: The Chrysler Chapter 11 reorganization and ultimately being acquired by Fiat . In 2011, Dodge and its sub-brands, Dodge Ram and Dodge Viper , were separated. Dodge announced that the Viper was to be an SRT product, and Ram a standalone marque. In 2014, SRT was merged back into Dodge. Later that year, the Chrysler Group was renamed FCA US LLC , coinciding with the merger of Fiat S.p.A. . The Chrysler Group

2184-524: The Chrysler K platform . The Caravan not only helped save Chrysler as a serious high-volume American automaker, but also spawned an entirely new market segment that supplanted the role of the station wagon: the minivan . By 1981, Chrysler was switching to smaller front-wheel drive designs. However, its older and larger rear-wheel drive Dodge Diplomat (as well as the Chrysler LeBaron and Fifth Avenue) continued to sell. Diplomats built from mid-1988 until

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2288-592: The Dodge Factory and dealership network to better compete in the low-priced car field against Ford and Chevrolet, and in one year Dodge progressed from thirteenth place in sales to seventh place by 1928. On January 2, 1929, Chrysler announced that the Graham Badge was dropped, and Chrysler was now building Dodge Brothers trucks. To fit better the Chrysler Corporation lineup, alongside low-priced Plymouth and medium-priced DeSoto , Dodge's lineup for early 1930

2392-616: The Graham-Paige company to build a new line of Graham passenger cars. Despite this, Dodge Brothers' sales had dropped to thirteenth place in the industry by 1927 selling the Dodge Fast Four , and Dillon, Read began looking for someone to buy the company. Dodge was sold to the new Chrysler Corporation in 1928 in a stock transfer instead of cash for $ 170 million ($ 3,016,511,628 in 2023 dollars ) who had attempted to purchase Dodge two years earlier. Chrysler successfully purchased Dodge to gain

2496-568: The St. Regis for 1979 following a one-year absence from the big car market. In a reversal of what happened in 1965, the St. Regis was an upsized Coronet. During the following model year (1978), the mid-size Dodge Monaco (which would include its entire Plymouth Fury counterpart lineup as well) would make its final appearance (for all during the remainder of the 1970s). While the Aspen got accolades for styling and handling,

2600-553: The "B-Body" Coronet and Charger from 1965 until 1978. The 1973 oil embargo caused American " gas guzzler " sales to slump, prompting Chrysler to develop the Dodge Aries K platform compact and midsize cars for the 1981 model year. The K platform and its derivatives are credited with reviving Chrysler's business in the 1980s. One example was the Dodge Caravan . During the 1990s the Dodge Stratus found many buyers along with

2704-563: The "race-ready" Hemi V8 . To offer a wider range of cars during the 1970s, Dodge partnered with Mitsubishi Motors to marketed their subcompact as the Colt positioned to compete with the AMC Gremlin , Chevrolet Vega , and Ford Pinto . Chrysler would come to rely heavily on their relationship with Mitsubishi. At the same time, Dodge marketed a version of the Plymouth Duster, badge-engineered as

2808-503: The 1961 Dodge front end and interior. The 880 continued into 1965, the year a completely new full-size body was put into production, the Polara entered the medium price class and the Monaco was added as the top series. The Polara and Monaco were changed mostly in appearance for the next ten years or so. Unique " fuselage " styling was employed from 1969 through 1973 and then was toned down again for

2912-568: The 1974 through 1977 models. Dodge targeted the muscle car market of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Along with the Charger, models like the Coronet R/T and Super Bee were available for buyers seeking performance. Dodge entered the pony car market segment with the Challenger coupe and convertible for the 1970 model year. They were available with economy I6 engines and numerous trims and options up to

3016-531: The 1980 through 1983 model years, sharing the Chrysler J platform along with its badge engineered variants, the second generation Chrysler Cordoba and the Imperial . Production of the Mirada reached just under 53,000 units, staying relatively unchanged over four years of production, except for paint colors and engines. The Mirada was marketed as a sporty personal luxury car with limited advertising and marketing during

3120-471: The 1989 model year. Although sales were strong, Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca held a low opinion of the M-body line as a relic of the pre-K car era and declined to invest any money in them. Dodge would not market another truly full-size car (at least based upon United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) passenger volume statistics) until the Monaco debuted as a 1990 model. Poletown Poletown East

3224-426: The 4,200 people who lived in the area, along with their 1,300 homes, 140 businesses, six churches and one hospital. The plant was built at the boundary of Hamtramck and Detroit as a BOC factory ( Buick - Oldsmobile - Cadillac ) and became known as the "Poletown Plant". Coleman Young , Mayor of Detroit , used eminent domain to seize the portion of Poletown. Critics stated that Young could have chosen other areas for

Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly - Misplaced Pages Continue

3328-470: The Aspen's rush to market when they saw their cars experience severe body rust within a couple of years on the road; engine and drive train problems plagued the Aspen/Volare twins, and although the problems were largely worked out within a few years, the final Aspens were the 1980 models. This car was available with either a 225 cubic-inch Slant Six or a small block V8 displacing 318 or 360 cubic inches. 1976

3432-633: The British and the Commonwealth militaries, over three-quarters of which were 3-ton trucks to be used in the CMP role . Dodge readily built upon the reputation of the WC-series for itself, by carrying it over into civilian models after the war, beginning with the successful Power Wagon , introduced with minimal modification almost immediately after the war, in 1945, for the 1946 model year. Civilian production at Dodge

3536-504: The CT6 and Impala in 2020, the factory began a retooling to build electric vehicles, starting with the GMC Hummer EV . The first GMC Hummer EV Pickup rolled off the assembly line at the rebranded Factory Zero on December 17, 2021. 42°22′52.0278″N 83°2′49.3002″W  /  42.381118833°N 83.047027833°W  / 42.381118833; -83.047027833 Dodge Dodge

3640-577: The Chevrolet Corvette and Pontiac Trans Am, and found its top speed of 121.6 mph (195.7 km/h) to be second to the Corvette's 124.5 mph (200.4 km/h). Dodge's replacement for the Dart was the Aspen, introduced in mid-1975 as a 1976 model. This new design featured lighter weight resulting in slightly improved fuel economy; it also had more interior and trunk room than the Dart. Front suspension

3744-659: The Dart to do battle against Ford, Chevrolet, and Plymouth. The result was that Dodge sales in the middle price class collapsed. Special and regional models were sold as well, including the LaFemme (a white and orchid-trimmed hardtop marketed toward women) and the Texan, a gold-accented Dodge sold in the Lone Star State. 1957 saw the introduction of a new automatic transmission, three-speed TorqueFlite. Both PowerFlite and TorqueFlite were controlled by mechanical push-buttons until 1965. 1956 saw

3848-732: The Delta II/Voltec body. On April 21, 2010, GM announced it would invest $ 121 million into the Detroit/Hamtramck factory to ensure GM could keep up with the demand for the next generation Chevrolet Malibu . In May 2011, GM announced it would invest $ 69 million in the plant for the Chevrolet Impala . In 2013, production of the Cadillac ELR (a Cadillac equivalent of the Chevrolet Volt ) began, followed two years later by production of

3952-654: The Dodge Demon . It was inexpensive, but with I6 and V8 engines, the Demon could not achieve the fuel economy of the four-cylinder Colt. The Demon sold in much fewer numbers than the Duster. The 1973 oil crisis caused significant changes at Dodge, as well as Chrysler as a whole. Except for the Colt and Slant Six models of the Dart, Dodge's lineup was viewed as uneconomical. Although this problem affected American automakers, Chrysler did not have

4056-539: The Dodge Brothers vehicles won acclaim for their durability in military service. First with the U.S. Army's Pancho Villa Expedition , during the 1910s U.S. Mexico Border War —the U.S. military's first operation to use truck convoys. General "Blackjack" Pershing procured a fleet of 150 to 250 Dodge Brothers vehicles for the Mexico campaign. Touring cars were used as staff and reconnaissance vehicles. Pershing himself used

4160-566: The Plymouth Satellite Sebring. The Charger SE (Special Edition) was the only model offered. It came with a wide variety engines from the 318 cu in (5.2 L) "LA" series small block V8 to three versions of 400 cu in (6.6 L) big block V8. The standard engine was the 360 cu in (5.9 L) 2-bbl small block, along with the code E58 4-bbl and dual exhaust high-performance version (225 hp) available as an option. Sales in 1975 amounted to 30,812. 1976

4264-467: The Plymouth. For 1954, sales dropped, and the stubby styling did not go over well with the public. 1954 also saw the introduction of the fully automatic PowerFlite transmission. Chrysler borrowed $ 250 million ($ 2,518,310,099.13 in 2021 Dollars) from Prudential in 1954 to finance expansion, acquisition, and updating the outdated styling of their car lines that contributed to Chrysler's failure to benefit from

Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly - Misplaced Pages Continue

4368-671: The United States military's primary supplier of light-wheeled vehicles until the U.S. joined the Second World War . Dodge Brothers cars continued to rank second place in American sales in 1920. However, the same year John Dodge died of pneumonia in January. His brother Horace then died of cirrhosis in December of the same year (reportedly still grieved over the loss of his brother, to whom he

4472-482: The brothers won a contract to produce transmissions for Ransom E. Olds ' company, Oldsmobile upon which they built a solid reputation for quality and service. They rejected a second contract from Oldsmobile in 1903, to retool their plant to manufacture engines for the Ford Motor Company , which would be in debt to the brothers. The first machine shop where the brothers worked as parts suppliers for Olds and Ford

4576-475: The build quality was problematic, sullying the car's reputation at a time when sales were desperately needed. It was noted for having problems with its carburetors which resulted in frequent stalling. The Aspen also had difficulties in starting, even after leaving the engine off for several minutes. This resulted in several recalls. The Dodge Magnum was introduced for 1978 to supplement the Dodge Charger . It

4680-632: The car, save for superficial things like trim levels and colors, remained minimal until 1927, when the new Senior six-cylinder line was introduced. The four-cylinder line was renamed the Fast Four line until it was dropped in favor of two lighter six-cylinder models (the Standard Six and Victory Six) for 1928. On October 1, 1925, Dodge Brothers, Inc., acquired a 51% interest in Graham Brothers , Inc., for $ 13 million ($ 225,859,583 in 2023 dollars ) and

4784-527: The cars contributed to Chrysler's financial woes at the time, but when the company requested federal assistance, the Omni was an important piece of evidence that they were attempting to compete with imports and build small, fuel-efficient cars and might be worth saving. For the three years leading up to the introduction of Chrysler's K-cars , the Omni/Horizon was Chrysler's best-selling model line. Everything came to

4888-523: The church. Twelve people were arrested, only three of the twelve arrested were from Poletown. Poletown Neighborhood Council v. Detroit became a landmark case for "public use" eminent domain matters. Twenty-three years later, the Michigan Supreme Court reversed the precedent that it had set in the earlier case. In their 2004 decision, County of Wayne v. Hathcock a property owner near Detroit's Metropolitan Airport successfully fought against

4992-495: The city's growing number of automobile firms. Chief among them were the established Olds Motor Vehicle Company and the new Ford Motor Company . Henry Ford selected the Dodge brothers to supply a wide range of components for his original Model A (1903–04) comprising the entire chassis: Ford needed to add only the body and wheels to finish the cars. Henry offered the Dodge brothers a 10% share in his new company in return for $ 10,000 worth of goods ($ 366,240 in 2023 dollars ). In 1902,

5096-481: The clutch, although the driver still had to shift gears manually. Chrysler was prolific in its production of war materiel , especially from 1942 until 1945. Dodge in particular was well known to both average citizens and thankful soldiers for their tough military-spec light trucks and WC54 ambulances. Dodge America – on paper under the Fargo Trucks name (in U.S. government contracts) – built over 400,000 trucks for

5200-462: The community was the St. Albertus Roman Catholic Church , which opened in 1871 and closed in 1990. Poletown experienced its greatest period of growth during the 1920s and 1930s as thousands of Polish immigrants came to Detroit in search of jobs in auto plants, like the nearby Packard Plant , and the Chrysler Plant to the east on Jefferson Ave, and the slaughterhouses that were in the area. Poletown

5304-625: The construction of his new River Rouge complex , and the Dodges filed a suit to protect their annual dividends of approximately one million dollars, leading Ford to buy out his shareholders. The Dodges were paid some US$ 25 million.($ 700,000,000 in 2023 dollars ) They had already earned $ 9,871,500 ($ 276,402,000 in 2023 dollars ) in dividends making a total return of $ 34,871,500 ($ 976,402,000 in 2023 dollars ) on their original $ 10,000 ($ 280,000 in 2023 dollars ) investment. The Ford contract set them up for life, but they never got to spend it. Also in 1916,

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5408-505: The deluxe Coronet series, introduced for 1949, offered extra luxury as the top-of-the-line. The Coronet Diplomat, Dodge's first pillarless hardtop coupe, was new for 1950, at least one year before Ford, Plymouth, and other popular car makes offered it. At the same time, Dodge also introduced its first V8 engine – the Red Ram Hemi, a smaller version of the original design of the famed Chrysler Hemi . The new 1953 bodies were smaller and based on

5512-548: The development of a new suburban office/industrial park. The case was argued by Michigan eminent domain attorney Alan T. Ackerman. In a later 2005 United States Supreme Court decision, the case of Kelo v. City of New London ruled that the use of eminent domain to promote economic development is constitutional, but the opinion in Kelo cites the Hathcock decision as an example of how states may choose to impose their own restrictions on

5616-508: The division's top sellers for many years. Chrysler made an ill-advised move to downsize the Dodge and Plymouth full-size lines for 1962, which resulted in a loss of sales. However, they turned this around in 1965 by turning those former full-sizes into "new" mid-size models; Dodge revived the Coronet nameplate in this way and later added a sporty fastback version called the Charger that became both

5720-434: The efforts to build the new plant. Gary Campbell, a Poletown resident and bar owner, accused those opposing the new plant of presenting opinions of a small minority as if they represented the entire neighborhood. The controversy led to national news attention and the involvement of Ralph Nader and the Gray Panthers . Protests centered on Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church. The regional Catholic Archdiocese supported

5824-451: The end of production were among the first Chrysler-built products to have a driver's side airbag as standard equipment, some two model years before the remainder of Chrysler's lineup (they were also among the only cars at the time to offer a tilt steering column with an airbag). As the 1980s progressed, fewer private customers purchased the Diplomat, and the M-body was eventually dropped during

5928-582: The ensuing firefight, the party killed three men, with one identified as Cárdenas. Patton's men tied the bodies to the hoods of the Dodges, returning to headquarters in Dublán and an excited reception from US newspapermen. Subsequently, some 12,800 Dodge cars and light trucks were used in World War I —over 8,000 touring cars, as well as 2,600 commercial vehicles, such as screen-side trucks and panel vans—serving primarily as ambulances and repair trucks. Dodge remained

6032-752: The idea (and a prototype) of a minivan in 1974. Iacocca followed Sperlich to Chrysler, and together they created what was internally designated the T-115 minivan – a prototype that was to become the Caravan and Voyager, known in initial marketing as the Magic-wagons. Chrysler introduced the Dodge Caravan and the Plymouth Voyager in November 1983 for the 1984 model year, using the Chrysler S platform , an extended derivative of

6136-435: The introduction of the 4-door pillarless hardtop (the same year most other makes offered this body style) in all three Dodge series, Custom Royal, Royal, and Coronet. Dodge's pillarless models were all badged "Lancer." Dodge entered the compact car field for the 1961 model year with the Lancer , a variation on Plymouth's Valiant . It was not initially successful but the successor, the 1963 Dart range would prove to be one of

6240-399: The larger Dodge Intrepid . The Dodge brand continued through multiple ownership changes of Chrysler Corporation from 1998 until 2009. These included its merger with Daimler-Benz AG between 1998 and 2007. Chrysler was subsequently sold by Daimler-Benz to Cerberus Capital Management . It went through the effects of the 2008–2010 automotive industry crisis on the United States resulting in

6344-444: The new Dodge Brothers firm, and along with the sale of bonds was able to raise $ 160 million ($ 2,779,810,247 in 2023 dollars ), reaping a $ 14 million (net) profit ($ 243,233,397 in 2023 dollars ). All voting stock was retained by Dillon, Read. Frederick Haynes remained as company head until E.G. Wilmer was named board chairman in November 1926. Wilmer was a banker with no auto experience and Haynes remained as president. Changes to

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6448-705: The next model year (1977), the mid-size Dodge Coronet would be renamed Monaco , which would be given stacked rectangular headlights and other minor cosmetic changes, that would provide a prompt sales boost. The Coronet and Charger were effectively replaced by the Diplomat for 1977, which was a fancier Aspen. Also, during that same model year, the full-size Dodge Monaco would be renamed Dodge Royal Monaco, which would appear for just one model year only and after that, both Dodge and Plymouth (which would include Dodge Royal Monaco's entire Plymouth Gran Fury counterpart line up as well) would discontinue all production of any more full-size models. It lost sales every year until replaced by

6552-594: The norm until the 1950s), 35 horsepower engines versus the Model T's 20 horsepower, and sliding-gear transmission (the best-selling Model T retained an antiquated planetary design until its demise in 1927). John Dodge was quoted as saying, "Someday, people who own a Ford are going to want an automobile." The company garnered a reputation for the highest quality truck, transmission, and motor parts supplied to other successful vehicles, and Dodge Brothers cars were ranked second in U.S. sales as early as 1916. That same year, Henry Ford stopped paying stock dividends to finance

6656-417: The number of models imported from Japanese partner Mitsubishi starting in 1971: first was a smaller Colt (based on Mitsubishi's Galant line), then a revival of the Challenger ( Dodge Challenger ) in 1976 as a compact two-door hardtop with a four-cylinder engine. The 1975 model year had the Dodge Charger and Chrysler Cordoba share the same new body based on the B platform . The Chrysler Cordoba had replaced

6760-401: The old Dodge factory. The residential area had been north of the Dodge facility. GM's acquisition of part of the property through eminent domain , and the subsequent clearing of this section of the neighborhood, was the subject of various protests and court battles. Eventually, the case went to the Michigan Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of General Motors, stating that economic development

6864-416: The plant and yet he chose one of the final remaining working class White areas of Detroit. Young had criticized the destruction of the Black Bottom through eminent domain. Some of the displaced residents sued the cities and General Motors, but the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that economic development was a legitimate use of eminent domain. Another Poletown group, the Citizens District Council, supported

6968-402: The plant is being retooled to produce electric vehicles , and took the name Factory Zero as part of this rebuilding. The first vehicle rolled off the new line on 17 December 2021, a GMC Hummer EV . The Dodge Factory, or "Dodge Main" as it became known, occupied 67 acres (0.27 km) on the edge of the village of Hamtramck, which is surrounded by the city of Detroit. Plant 4, on Conant Avenue,

7072-522: The plant would be closing. The plant subsequently closed on January 4, 1980. The facility remained dormant until 1981, when General Motors moved to purchase the plant for $ 1 to build a new factory. The 362 acres (1.46 km) acquired also was home to a large Polish community that was part of an area that is sometimes referred to as Poletown . The proposed GM facility included land that was home to 4,200 residents, 1,400 homes, several churches (including Immaculate Conception Church) and 140 businesses, plus

7176-447: The platform. By the 1970s, manufacturing and assembly needs began to diminish. A few small buildings around the facility were demolished, and others were repurposed to uses like research and record storage. By 1979, only 5,200 hourly employees remained at the plant, a sliver of the 36,000 employees that worked there during the peak in the 1940s. Dodge was struggling financially, and in an effort to cut costs it announced in spring 1979 that

7280-404: The postwar boom as GM and Ford were. Exner led the development of the new corporate " Forward Look " styling of 1955, beginning a new era for Dodge. With steadily upgraded styling and ever-stronger engines every year through 1960, Dodge found a ready market for its products as America discovered the joys of freeway travel. This situation improved when Dodge introduced a new line of Dodges called

7384-427: The previous years had clear lenses with amber-colored bulbs. The Dart Sport 360 was dropped as a separate model in 1976, but the 360 cu in (5.9 L) four-barrel, dual exhaust (without catalytic converters) V8 was a $ 376 option (except in California) for the $ 3,370 Dart Sport V8 models with automatic transmission. Car & Driver magazine tested the Dart Sport 360 in the April 1976 issue, pitting it against

7488-484: The priest at one of the parishes, defied his local Cardinal and fought to keep his building from being sold. The Archdiocese stood firm in its support of the sale. A 29-day sit-in at the Immaculate Conception Church came to an end on July 14, 1981, when police forcibly evicted 20 people from the church. Twelve people were arrested; only three of the twelve arrested were from Poletown. Shortly afterward,

7592-419: The relocations and had already agreed to sell the two Catholic churches that were in the area. However, Joseph Karasiewicz, the priest at one of the parishes, defied his archbishop and fought to keep his building from being sold. The Archdiocese stood firm in its support of the sale. A 29-day sit-in at the Immaculate Conception Church came to an end on July 14, 1981, when police forcibly evicted 20 people from

7696-491: The remaining 49% on May 1, 1926. Haynes purchased all of Graham's truck production, and in 1926, the Graham branch took charge of all of Dodge's truck manufacturing. Briefly – until the purchase by Chrysler – all trucks were Graham badged. A total of 60,000 trucks were built in 1927. The three Graham brothers, Robert, Joseph and Ray, assumed management positions in Dodge Brothers before departing early in 1927. The brothers established

7800-425: The resources to respond to the changes in the marketplace. While General Motors and Ford began downsizing their largest cars, Chrysler (and Dodge) were slow to make change. Chrysler was able to use some of its other resources. Borrowing the recently introduced Chrysler Horizon from their European division , Dodge was able to get its new Omni subcompact on the market fairly quickly. At the same time, they increased

7904-461: The same year, perhaps weakened by the Spanish flu, but the cause of death was cirrhosis of the liver. Their company was sold by their families to Dillon, Read & Co. in 1925 before being sold to Chrysler in 1928. Dodge's mainstay vehicles were trucks , full-sized passenger cars through the 1970s, and it also built compact cars such as the 1963 through 1976 Dart and midsize as well as such as

8008-462: The site targeted for the plant was razed and construction began on the new $ 500 million auto assembly plant. The controversy inspired at least one short film: "Poletown Lives!" A small Jewish cemetery, Beth Olem, occupies part of the grounds of the GM Assembly at the extreme northwest corner of the property, next to the water treatment facility. The older pre-existing auto plant parking lot engulfed

8112-494: The small cemetery long before General Motors built the new assembly plant. Visitation is currently limited to twice a year on the Sundays preceding Rosh Hashana and Passover . The plans went forward and GM's Detroit-Hamtramck plant was opened in February 1985. Cadillac K-body production was consolidated there in the 1990s. The Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly later received the contract for the production of Chevrolet Volt , which uses

8216-416: The so-called "Wind Stream" look for 1935. This was a mild form of streamlining , which saw sales jump remarkably over the previous year (even though Dodge as a whole still dropped to fifth place for the year after two years of holding down fourth). Dodge did not share the radical Airflow styling that was the cause of depressed sales of Chryslers and DeSotos from 1934 until 1937, as a passenger sedan, but it

8320-452: The south, Lumpkin Street to the east, Poland Avenue to the north and I-75 to the west. (That factory was demolished in 2014, having occupied its location since 1917.) While some residents protested the GM's sweeping development plans, others supported the efforts to build the new plant. Gary Campbell, a Poletown resident and bar owner, accused those opposing the new plant of presenting the opinions of

8424-545: The taking of property. Poletown is sometimes used inclusively as slang for Hamtramck, Michigan , probably due to Hamtramck's strong identification with Polish-Americans. "Poletown" proper is the section immediately south of Hamtramck within the city of Detroit, but at one time had a strong and vibrant Polish neighborhood. Hamtramck itself has become highly diverse and there is still a small Polish-speaking minority. Polish bakeries and restaurants there are particularly popular, especially around Fat Tuesday . Many people around

8528-503: The third-best-selling automaker to seventh place in the U.S. market. Dodge Brothers expanded its truck line and became a leading builder of light trucks. After expanding production capacity, Haynes signed a contract in 1921 for Dodge's large dealer network to exclusively market trucks with bodies built by Graham Brothers of Evansville, Indiana. The Graham truck line from then on used only Dodge-built chassis, from 1-ton to 3-ton capacity, and Dodge kept making light-duty trucks. Development

8632-409: The utilization rate at the plant was only 28 percent of the 230,000 unit production capability. Subsequently, on November 26, 2018, GM announced that the plant would be "unallocated" in 2019. In February, 2019, General Motors (GM) announced that production of the Chevrolet Impala and Cadillac CT6 would continue at Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly until early 2020. Coincident with the discontinuation of

8736-495: The war, in its nearly new (1938) Warren truck plant at Mound Road, near Detroit, Michigan. Starting with the quickly converted VC and VF-series of 1940, Dodge built mostly light 4x4, but also light-medium 6x6 WC-series trucks , that evolved out of the VC-series. Smaller numbers of other models were built for China and Russia under Lend-Lease . Additionally, Chrysler Canada was enlisted to crank out another 180,000 Dodge trucks for

8840-405: Was a new design; it featured transverse-mounted torsion bars which not only improved ride, but cornering as well. Its boxy styling gave the impression of a larger car. However, sales had to be shared with the virtually identical Plymouth Volare. Both cars were available in coupe, sedan, and station wagon body styles, and in both base and deluxe trim. Despite its virtues, customers soon found out about

8944-457: Was dropped for 1935. A long- wheelbase edition of the remaining Six was added for 1936 and would remain a part of the lineup for many years. To enhance production, in 1932 Chrysler built a factory in Los Angeles, California where Chrysler, DeSoto, Dodge, and Plymouth vehicles were built until the factory closed in 1971. The Dodge line, along with most of the corporation's output, was restyled in

9048-494: Was established in 1913 and by 1914, John and Horace designed and introduced the first car of their own – the four-cylinder Dodge Model 30-35 touring car. Marketed as a slightly more upscale competitor to the ubiquitous Ford Model T , it pioneered or made standard many features later taken for granted, such as all-steel bodies. The vast majority of cars worldwide still used wood-framing under steel panels, Other innovations were 12-volt electrical systems (6-volt systems would remain

9152-716: Was integrated into the corporate structure of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles . Subsequently, another merger occurred on January 16, 2021, between FCA and the PSA Group to form Stellantis , making the Dutch-domiciled automaker the second largest in Europe , after Volkswagen . Horace and John Dodge founded the Dodge Brothers Company in Detroit in 1900, and quickly found work manufacturing precision engine and chassis components for

9256-579: Was located at the Boydell Building on Beaubien Street at Lafayette. This location was replaced by a larger facility at Hastings Street and Monroe Avenue, which is now a parking garage for the Hollywood Casino (Hastings Street at this location has been renamed Chrysler Service Drive). By 1910 the Dodge Main factory was built in Hamtramck, where it remained until 1979. The Dodge Brothers Motor Company

9360-619: Was nearly 3,900 lb (1,800 kg). The Omni and Horizon were introduced at a critical time since the company was on the brink of bankruptcy and sought government support to survive. In 1978, Chrysler beat Ford and General Motors to the market with a domestically produced front-wheel drive car to challenge the VW Rabbit . However, the L-bodies miscarried at first, since 1978 was a year of strong sales for larger cars and demand for compacts and subcompacts noticeably shrank. These initial poor sales of

9464-420: Was not only home to Poles, but also to Italians and African Americans . During the 1950s and 1960s, freeway construction and urban renewal projects altered the neighborhood. In 1981, a portion of the neighborhood was demolished to make way for the construction of the General Motors Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant. General Motors and the cities of Detroit and Hamtramck relied on eminent domain to relocate

9568-633: Was originally a supplier of parts and assemblies to Detroit -based automakers like Ford . They began building complete automobiles under the "Dodge Brothers" brand in 1914, predating the founding of the Chrysler Corporation. The factory located in Hamtramck, Michigan was the Dodge main factory from 1910 until it closed in January 1980. John Dodge died from the Spanish flu in January 1920, having lungs weakened by tuberculosis 20 years earlier. Horace died in December of

9672-430: Was replaced in 1912 by the architectural firm of Smith, Hinchman & Grylls , due to a disagreement with the Dodge brothers. Reflecting an engineering philosophy the brothers shared, the plant was vastly overbuilt. There were two railroads crossing the area, and plenty of open land at the time. One of the railroad lines went north to the nearby Highland Park Ford Plant which had just opened earlier. The original intent

9776-421: Was restarted by late 1945, in time for the 1946 model year . The " seller's market " of the early postwar years, brought on by the lack of any new cars throughout the war, meant that every automaker found it easy to sell vehicles regardless of any drawbacks they might have. Like almost every other automaker, Dodge sold lightly facelifted revisions of its 1942 design through the 1948 season. As before, these were

9880-409: Was separated only from the main plant structures by a railroad right-of-way, which was also the boundary line between the two cities. The plant started off as just a few buildings but it grew rapidly as needed, where it ended up as 35 separate buildings, to include a foundry , before it was demolished. The original plant was designed by noted industrial designer and architect Albert Kahn Associates but

9984-487: Was sold in two forms, the "XE" and the "GT" and was the last vehicle to use the long-running Chrysler B platform . The appearance was somewhat of a rounded-off Charger and was in response to getting a car that would be eligible for NASCAR that would be more aerodynamic, something that the 1975–1978 Charger was not. Styling features included four rectangular headlights behind retractable clear covers, with narrow opera windows , and an optional T-bar or power sunroof. The Magnum

10088-400: Was stagnating, and sales dropped Dodge Brothers to fifth place in the industry by 1925. That year, the Dodge Brothers company was sold by the widows to the investment group Dillon, Read & Co. for no less than US$ 146 million which at the time was the largest cash transaction in history ($ 2,536,576,850 in 2023 dollars ). Dillon, Read & Co. offered non-voting stock on the market in

10192-516: Was the Dart's final year in the North American market. The rear-view mirror was mounted on the windshield rather than from the roof. Front disc brakes became standard equipment on January 1, 1976 in accord with more stringent U.S. federal brake performance requirements, and a new foot-operated parking brake replaced the under-dash T-handle used since the Dart's 1963 introduction as a compact car. The grille's parking lamps were cast in amber , whereas

10296-528: Was the final model year for the Dodge Coronet, at least so far as the name Coronet went, also its body style choices were relegated to just only two four-door models, the four-door wagon and the four-door sedan. The former Dodge Coronet 2-door model, which appeared for just the previous model year was replaced by the Dodge Charger Sport 2-door model, which, itself, appeared for only one model year. During

10400-437: Was to continue providing parts and subassemblies, and ship them to Ford. It also included the first time a car manufacturer used a vehicle test track, including a portion where newly manufactured cars would drive up a ramp, to test the powertrain durability and the brakes on the way down. John and Horace had grown up on factory floors and machine shops, and they made sure their employees were well cared for. The Dodge facility had

10504-511: Was trimmed down to a core group of two lines and thirteen models (from three lines and nineteen models just over a year previous). Prices started just above DeSoto but were somewhat less than top-of-the-line Chrysler , in a small-scale recreation of General Motors' "step-up" marketing concept . (DeSoto and Dodge would swap places in the market for the 1933 model year, Dodge dropping down between Plymouth and DeSoto.) As Plymouth cars were sold at Chrysler dealerships, Dodge branded vehicles were sold as

10608-524: Was used on commercial trucks for a short time. Dodge (along with the rest of Chrysler) added safety features such as a smooth, flat dashboard with no protruding knobs, curved in-door handles, and padded front-seat backs for the benefit of the rear-seat occupants. Another major restyle arrived for the 25th-anniversary 1939 models, which Dodge dubbed the Luxury Liner series. These were once again completely redesigned, with new bodies for 1940, again in 1941, and

10712-592: Was very close). With the loss of both founders, the Dodge Brothers Company was left in the hands of their widows, Matilda Dodge Wilson and Anna Thompson Dodge , who promoted long-time employee Frederick Haynes to the presidency. During this time, the Model 30 was evolved to become the Series 116 (retaining the same basic construction and engineering features). As the 1920s progressed, Dodge gradually lost its ranking from

10816-408: Was well-featured with power steering, brakes, and seats; the suspension included Chrysler's standard adjustable, longitudinal torsion bars, lower trailing links, and front and rear anti-sway bars. The base engine was the 318 cu in (5.2 L) V8 with Lean-Burn , while two and four-barrel carbureted 360 cu in (5.9 L) and 400 cu in (6.6 L) V8s were optional; weight

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