Detroit – Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will permanently close the Dodge Viper factory at the end of August. The company said it would shutter the Conner Avenue Assembly plant as production of the Dodge Viper ends.
In 2015, FCA announced it would discontinue the low-volume sports car. Production will cease in August because the Dodge Viper won’t meet new safety regulations that go into effect Sept. 1.
Last year FCA sold just 630 Vipers.
The boutique plant employs more than 80 people who craft the Dodge Vipers by hand. In a letter filed with the state of Michigan, FCA says it should be able to offer the affected employees jobs at other locations.
The Conner Avenue Assembly plant opened in 1966, originally operated by Champion Spark Plugs. Chrysler purchased the facility in 1995.
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Chrysler first manufactured the Dodge Viper, beginning in 1992, at the New Mack Assembly. Production moved to Conner Avenue Assembly in October of 1995, where it continued through to today. The plant was idled in 2010 following Chrysler’s bankruptcy in 2009.
In 2012, Fiat Chrysler renovated and reopened Conner Avenue Assembly after redesigning the Dodge Viper. However, the sticker price proved too big to entice customers to take home the distinctive American supercar.
At 392,000 square feet, the plant is a fraction of the size of a full mass-production facility. It looms large, however, next to its residential neighborhood where it sits.
Though primarily a Dodge Viper production facility, the Conner Avenue Assembly also houses a small museum. The attraction features a number of notable Vipers, including the original Dodge Viper concept car that appeared in 1989. FCA also offers public tours of the facility.
Given Dodge Vipers can be highly customized, the Dodge Viper factory is more like a workshop. Many pieces are manufactured off-site then shipped to Conner Avenue where a specialized team of workers piece all of the components together.
Though most Viper customers opt to have their orders shipped to the nearest Dodge dealer, the Dodge Viper factory does have a sort waiting room. Customers are encouraged to come meet their Dodge Viper at Conner Avenue, where they can meet the team that put the car together.
After the Dodge Viper plant closes, only one assembly plant will remain completely inside Detroit city limits. Fiat Chrysler still operates a factory on Jefferson Avenue in downtown Detroit.
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