Chicago Assembly
Encyclopedia
Chicago Assembly is Ford Motor Company
's oldest continually-operated automobile
manufacturing plant. It is located at E. 130th Street and Torrence Avenue in the Hegewisch
community area of Chicago
, Illinois
. Chicago Assembly currently builds the Ford Taurus
, Lincoln MKS
, and Ford Explorer
, all of which share the same platform
.
Production started on March 3, 1924, as an alternative production site for the Model T
to the River Rouge Plant
. It switched to Model A production in 1928, and built M8 Greyhound
and M20 Armored Utility Car armored cars during World War II
. It was the site of pickup truck
production for 40 years before that operation stopped in 1964. In 1985, it was selected as the site of production for the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable
midsize sedans.
Ford spent $400,000,000 in 2004 to modernize the plant. It switched to production of the D3 platform
vehicles for 2005. Nine automotive suppliers have built factories nearby at the Ford Chicago Manufacturing Campus developed by CenterPoint Properties
. Ford's Chicago plant is a center for flexible just-in-time production. It currently employs over 2,000 workers.
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
's oldest continually-operated automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
manufacturing plant. It is located at E. 130th Street and Torrence Avenue in the Hegewisch
Hegewisch, Chicago
Hegewisch , one of the 77 community areas of Chicago, Illinois, is located on the city's far south side. It is bordered by the neighborhoods of Riverdale and South Deering to the west, the East Side to the north, the village of Burnham to the south and the city of Hammond, Indiana to the east. It...
community area of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. Chicago Assembly currently builds the Ford Taurus
Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
, Lincoln MKS
Lincoln MKS
The Lincoln MKS is a full-size luxury sedan from the Lincoln division of the Ford Motor Company. The MKS first appeared in concept form at the North American International Auto Show in January 2006 with the production version, a 2009 model, appearing later at the Los Angeles International Auto...
, and Ford Explorer
Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer is a sport-utility vehicle sold in North America and built by the Ford Motor Company since 1990, as a replacement for the smaller but related Ford Bronco II. It is manufactured in Chicago, Illinois...
, all of which share the same platform
Automobile platform
An automobile platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of automobiles, often from different, but related marques...
.
Production started on March 3, 1924, as an alternative production site for the Model T
Ford Model T
The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Henry Ford's Ford Motor Company from September 1908 to May 1927...
to the River Rouge Plant
River Rouge Plant
The Ford River Rouge Complex is a Ford Motor Company automobile factory complex located in Dearborn, Michigan, along the Rouge River, upstream from its confluence with the Detroit River at Zug Island...
. It switched to Model A production in 1928, and built M8 Greyhound
M8 Greyhound
The M8 Light Armored Car was a 6x6 armored car produced by the Ford Motor Company during World War II. It was used by the U.S. and British troops in Europe and the Far East until the end of the war. The vehicle was widely exported and as of 2006 still remains in service with some third world...
and M20 Armored Utility Car armored cars during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was the site of pickup truck
Ford F-Series
The F-Series is a series of full-size pickup trucks from Ford Motor Company which has been sold continuously for over six decades. The most popular variant of the F-Series is the F-150...
production for 40 years before that operation stopped in 1964. In 1985, it was selected as the site of production for the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable
Mercury Sable
The Sable was a very important sedan for both Mercury and the American auto industry.Ford had lagged in introducing mid-size front wheel drive cars to compete against General Motors' Chevrolet Citation and its best-selling Chevrolet Celebrity/Pontiac 6000/Oldsmobile Cutlass/Buick Century quartet as...
midsize sedans.
Ford spent $400,000,000 in 2004 to modernize the plant. It switched to production of the D3 platform
Ford D3 platform
The Ford D3 platform is a Ford global full-size car automobile platform. It was designed by Volvo before the Ford purchase and debuted with the Volvo S80 sedan in early 1999. The platform is designed for either front- or all wheel drive with an extended wheelbase option.-Overview:Ford's D3...
vehicles for 2005. Nine automotive suppliers have built factories nearby at the Ford Chicago Manufacturing Campus developed by CenterPoint Properties
CenterPoint Properties
CenterPoint Properties is a a privately owned real estate developer based in the Chicago, Illinois suburb Oakbrook, Illinois that owns and develops large industrial real estate tracts particularly intermodal facilities....
. Ford's Chicago plant is a center for flexible just-in-time production. It currently employs over 2,000 workers.
Products
- 1924–1928 Ford Model TFord Model TThe Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Henry Ford's Ford Motor Company from September 1908 to May 1927...
- 1928–1931 Ford Model A
- 1945– Mercury 2-door sedan
- 1949– FordFord Motor CompanyFord Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
- 1953–1964 Ford F-100Ford F-SeriesThe F-Series is a series of full-size pickup trucks from Ford Motor Company which has been sold continuously for over six decades. The most popular variant of the F-Series is the F-150...
- 1969–1976 Ford GalaxieFord GalaxieThe Ford Galaxie was a full-size car built in the United States by the Ford Motor Company for model years 1959 through 1974. The name was used for the top models in Ford’s full-size range from 1959 until 1961, in a marketing attempt to appeal to the excitement surrounding the Space Race...
500 and LTD - 1969–1976 Mercury MarquisMercury MarquisThese were known as the "Continental Styling" years, as Mercury was trying to market itself as an affordable Lincoln, rather than a more expensive Ford...
- 1976 Ford TorinoFord TorinoThe Ford Torino is an intermediate automobile produced by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. The car was named after the city of Turin , which is considered the Detroit of Italy...
- 1977–1981 ThunderbirdThunderbird-Creatures:* Thunderbird , a legendary creature in Native American culture* Dromornithidae, an extinct Australian family of birds* Thunderbird , a term used in cryptozoology to describe large, bird-like creatures-Computing:...
- 1981–1982 Ford GranadaFord Granada (North America)The Ford Granada was a mid-size car built and marketed by Ford Motor Company in North America from 1975–1982, along with its sister models, the Mercury Monarch, and Lincoln Versailles. The Granada was touted by Ford as a rival to the similarly sized Mercedes-Benz 280 of the time. The Granada and...
- 1981–1982 Mercury CougarMercury CougarThe Mercury Cougar is an automobile which was sold under the Mercury brand of the Ford Motor Company's Lincoln-Mercury Division from 1967 to 2002. The name was first used in 1967 and was carried by a diverse series of cars over the next three decades. As is common with Mercury vehicles, the Cougar...
- 1983–1986 Ford LTD
- 1983–1986 Mercury MarquisMercury MarquisThese were known as the "Continental Styling" years, as Mercury was trying to market itself as an affordable Lincoln, rather than a more expensive Ford...
- 1986–2004 Ford TaurusFord TaurusThe Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
- 1986–2004 Mercury SableMercury SableThe Sable was a very important sedan for both Mercury and the American auto industry.Ford had lagged in introducing mid-size front wheel drive cars to compete against General Motors' Chevrolet Citation and its best-selling Chevrolet Celebrity/Pontiac 6000/Oldsmobile Cutlass/Buick Century quartet as...
- 2005–2007 Ford Five HundredFord Five HundredThe Ford Five Hundred is a full-size sedan that was produced by the Ford Motor Company during the 2005 to 2007 model years in North America. In North America, the name evoked the classic Fairlane 500 and Galaxie 500 models of the 1950s through 1970s.-Overview:The Five Hundred was introduced at the...
- 2005–2007 Ford Freestyle
- 2005–2007 Mercury MontegoMercury MontegoThe Mercury Montego was a mid-size vehicle in the Mercury line of Ford Motor Company from 1968 to 1976. The namplate first appeared in 1967 in Canada as part of the Mercury-derived Meteor line. After 1976, the basic design of the Montego was updated and the nameplate disappeared as the Cougar...
- 2008– Ford TaurusFord TaurusThe Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
- 2008–2009 Ford Taurus XFord Taurus XThe Ford Taurus X was a 6- or 7-passenger full-size crossover SUV that was produced by Ford Motor Company in the United States. It was originally introduced in 2005 as the Ford Freestyle, before being renamed Taurus X for the 2008 model year. In Ford's lineup, it replaced the Ford Taurus station...
- 2008–2009 Mercury SableMercury SableThe Sable was a very important sedan for both Mercury and the American auto industry.Ford had lagged in introducing mid-size front wheel drive cars to compete against General Motors' Chevrolet Citation and its best-selling Chevrolet Celebrity/Pontiac 6000/Oldsmobile Cutlass/Buick Century quartet as...
- 2009– Lincoln MKSLincoln MKSThe Lincoln MKS is a full-size luxury sedan from the Lincoln division of the Ford Motor Company. The MKS first appeared in concept form at the North American International Auto Show in January 2006 with the production version, a 2009 model, appearing later at the Los Angeles International Auto...
- 2011 Ford ExplorerFord ExplorerThe Ford Explorer is a sport-utility vehicle sold in North America and built by the Ford Motor Company since 1990, as a replacement for the smaller but related Ford Bronco II. It is manufactured in Chicago, Illinois...