Mahwah Assembly

Mahwah Assembly
Location in New Jersey
Operated 1950 (1950)–1980 (1980)
Location Mahwah, New Jersey
Coordinates 41°06′19″N 74°09′46″W / 41.1053°N 74.1627°W / 41.1053; -74.1627Coordinates: 41°06′19″N 74°09′46″W / 41.1053°N 74.1627°W / 41.1053; -74.1627
Industry Automotive
Products Automobiles
Area 172 acres (0.70 km2)[1]
Owner(s) Ford Motor Company
Defunct 1980 (1980)

Mahwah Assembly was a Ford Motor Company manufacturing plant in Mahwah, New Jersey, 30 miles (48 km) from New York City. It was located behind the Sheraton Mahwah, and occupied over 172 acres.

History

The factory began operations in 1955, and was closed in 1980. It was one of three manufacturing facilities in New Jersey. It was built two years after the Edison Assembly plant opened and would eventually replace the Ford Motor Company Edgewater Assembly Plant which closed in 1955.

Mahwah Assembly produced 6 million cars in the 25 years it operated before the last car rolled off the line on June 20, 1980.[2][3] At the time of its completion, it was the largest motor vehicle assembly plant in the United States. The Ford plant, along with other businesses such as American Brake Shoe and Foundry Company, helped contribute to the economic development of the town and its reputation for low home property taxes.[4] The Mahwah town sports teams remain named Thunderbirds in honor of the Ford plant.

A portion of the plant site is presently the U.S. headquarters of Sharp Corporation.[1]

Products

Vehicles produced at the plant included 1949 Ford, 1957 Ford, Edsel, Ford Fairmont, Ford Galaxie, Ford Granada, Ford LTD, Ford Thunderbird, Lincoln Capri, Lincoln Premiere, Lincoln Versailles, Mercury Colony Park, Mercury Meteor, Mercury Monarch, Mercury Montclair, Mercury Monterey, and Mercury Turnpike Cruiser.

Bruce Springsteen's 1982 song, "Johnny 99", is about an auto worker who gets laid off from the Mahwah plant and shoots and kills a night clerk while drunk and distraught.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Postings; Sharp Taking Part of Ford Plant Site". The New York Times. New York City. 25 November 1984. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  2. ↑ via Associated Press. "Last Ford Rolls Off Line At Mahwah Plant", Toledo Blade, June 20, 1980. Accessed November 27, 2013. "A two-door, cream-and-tan-colored Fairmont Futura became the last of 6 million vehicles to roll of Ford's Mahwah assembly line as the 25-year-old plant shut down Friday, idling more than 3,700 employees."
  3. ↑ Staff. "Majority From Ford's Mahwah Plant Still Jobless", The New York Times, April 25, 1982. Accessed December 19, 2011. "Mr. Pfeiffer is one of 3,359 auto workers who lost their jobs when the Ford Motor Company closed its assembly plant in Mahwah, N.J., nearly two years ago."
  4. ↑ History of the Ford Assembly Plant Archived 2012-05-02 at the Wayback Machine., Mahwah Museum. Accessed December 19, 2011. "The Ford Motor Company operated an assembly plant in Mahwah from 1955 to 1980. At the time of its completion, it was the largest motor vehicle assembly plant in the United States. The Ford Plant, along with other businesses such as American Brake Shoe and Foundry Company, helped contribute to the economic development of the town of Mahwah."
  5. ↑ "Allmusic Johnny 99". Retrieved 2007-07-22.
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