| Oct 29, 2010 |
Posted By: Jackie Carey |
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Just yesterday the Chrysler Group announced it will be pouring $600 million into its Belvidere, Illinois, assembly plant. In an effort to support the production of future models in 2012, this investment will include the construction of a 638,000 square-foot body shop as well as the installation of new machines, tools and handling equipment
According to Scott Garberding, Senior VP and Head of Manufacturing at Chrysler, "the Belvidere Assembly Plant will be expanded and retooled in order to build the next generation of vehicles that will meet the needs of our customers."
All this will be happening right here in Chicagoland. Work has already started on the facility and is expected to be completed in 2011.
The Belvidere Assembly Plants produced its first car on July 7th in 1965--at the time, its product line included the Plymouth and Dodge two-door, four-door and station wagon models and it included the Chrysler Town & Country. From that time on, the plant has been converted to produce front-wheel drive vehicles, the Chrysler New Yorker, the Dodge Dynasty, the Chrysler Imperial, the Dodge Neon, the Dodge Caliber, the Jeep Compass and the Jeep Patriot in 2006.
Chrysler has been a bit cryptic here, leaving us wondering which "future models" will be produced in Belvidere. We have our guess as to what will be made in the newly renovated plant… how about you?