Linden Assembly
Linden Assembly was a General Motors automobile factory in Linden, New Jersey. The 2,600,000-square-foot (240,000 m2) factory opened in 1937 to build Buick, Pontiac, Cadillac, and Oldsmobile vehicles. During World War II, the plant was also used to produce fighter planes for the United States military, primarily the FM Wildcat, an improved version of the F4F Wildcat. After automobile production resumed, it was under the management of GM's newly created Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac Assembly Division created in 1945.
By the late 1970s, the plant was producing GM's premium E-body coupes (Buick Riviera, Cadillac Eldorado, Oldsmobile Toronado) and the new bustle-back Cadillac Seville. The last cars to be produced at the plant were the L-body Chevrolet Beretta and Corsica.
Beginning in September 1991 the facility was closed and retooled for truck and sport utility vehicle assembly.[1] After reopening in 1993, it produced the Chevrolet S-10, GMC Sonoma, Chevrolet Blazer, and GMC Jimmy models. In February 2002 General Motors announced plans to shut down the plant in 2004, though the closure date changed after negotiations with the state government and union.[2] A white 2005 Blazer was the last vehicle to leave the line on 20 April 2005.[3]
In July 2007, General Motors and the City of Linden settled numerous tax appeals going back to 1983; Linden agreeing to pay GM $4.8 million and clearing the way for the sale and subsequent redevelopment of the 104-acre (0.42 km2) site. The property has been sold for $77 million on February 1, 2008 to Duke Realty, which is redeveloping the facility as an industrial and retail project called Legacy Commerce Center. Most of the structures were demolished by August 2008.[4]
Products
Cars
- Buick Riviera
- Cadillac Eldorado
- Cadillac Seville
- Chevrolet Beretta
- Chevrolet Corsica
- Oldsmobile Toronado
Trucks and SUVs
- Chevrolet Blazer
- Chevrolet S-10
- GMC Jimmy
- GMC Sonoma
See also
- General Motors Companion Make Program
- List of GM factories
Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac Assembly Division (1945-1965)
- Doraville Assembly, Atlanta, Georgia
- Fairfax Assembly, Kansas City, Kansas
- Framingham Assembly, Framingham, Massachusetts
- Fremont Assembly, Fremont, California
- Lakewood Assembly, Lakewood, Georgia
- Linden Assembly, Linden, New Jersey
- South Gate Assembly, South Gate, California
- Wilmington Assembly, Wilmington, Delaware
References
- ↑ 1993 Ward's Automotive Yearbook. Detroit: Ward's Reports. p. 101.
- ↑ Smothers, Ronald (September 19, 2003). "G.M. Plant Will Remain Open Until 2007, Union Says". New York Times. Retrieved 2011-02-27.
- ↑ Morley, Hugh R. (April 21, 2005). "The End of a Long Line". The Record (Bergen County, NJ). p. A1.
- ↑ Friedman, Alexi (August 31, 2008). "Former GM plant is razed for Linden 'renaissance'". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
Coordinates: 40°37′10.16″N 74°15′19.67″W / 40.6194889°N 74.2554639°W