My daily driver was built in Chicago, while my wife’s was wrenched together not that far away in Princeton Indiana. Before this one, I had a car that was a native to Puebla Mexico, although it spoke with a German accent, and was named for a game invented by the Scots. Over the past century-plus of automotive production there have been assembly plants, either major or minor, in cities on every continent on the planet with the possible exception of Antarctica. However, it is possible that the Antarcticans have been keeping their car production on the down low, so as not to become targets for derision by the hosts of Top Gear.
That being said, only a handful of cities globally have become synonymous with automotive production, and none more so than Detroit, hell even I once owned a car built in Detroit, and most of my cars have been British! Many other cities have seen their automotive production flourish, and then sputter like a spent candle, and cities such as Van Nuys, California – where Camaros and Firebird were once birthed, now are the sites of automotive wrecking yards, rather than nurseries.
The average car owner likely doesn’t have a clue where their car was constructed, but none of you are average, are you? No, I didn’t think so. That being the case, your probably know not only the final point of assembly for your cars, but where their engines were made, and the name of the guy who torqued the head bolts, you’re just that dedicated. So, without further ado, where was your car made?
Image source: [Jalopnik.com]
Hooniverse Asks- Where Was Your Car Made?
-
Zwickau, Germany !
<img src="http://trabantusa.art.officelive.com/images/MattAnnen.1.jpg" width="600"> -
Ingolstadt, Germany,
<img src="http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd356/rover8002000/C1MDM1783.jpg" Width=350>
Cowley, near Oxford, England,
<img src="http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd356/rover8002000/825c.jpg" width=350>
Maintained to within an nth of a degree of absolute perfection on the beautiful Essex Riviera.-
I understand the term "climbing under your car" but is a ladder really necessary?!
-
The car lives in my Grandfathers garage, he sees that as a good place to store ladders. Folk are strange.
-
-
Why AMG wheels?
-
Aha! Because I work for Mercedes, my old wheels were horribly corroded and these came in on an immaculate C230K with the AMG pack. I got them for free, (car was going for scrap on the scrappage scheme) and they're among my favourite wheel designs of evar. I thought it was worth the effort to fit them on the Audi. They kind of split opinion….
-
Now I remember you work for MB. That's one of my favorite wheel design too, definitely Top5.
-
-
-
-
The 2000 Mercury Cougar was built just outside of Detroit, at AutoAlliance in Flat Rock, MI. The SVT Focus was built in Hermosilla, Mexico.
-
Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, England. 2004 Jaguar XJ
-
Off the top of my head:
Hamtramck – Original Recipe Challenger R/T
Whittier – Shelby
Shreveport – 'phoon
I'd have to research some of the others. -
<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5135/5476155803_706f61ce5b_b.jpg" width=600>
Right, foreground: Torslanda, Gothenburg, Sweden (1989 244 DL)
Left, background: Ghent, Belgium (1992 745 Turbo). -
My Astra rolled off the assembly line from Opel's Antwerp Belgium plant. Which was closed down 6 months after the Saturn brand died.
I really have no hope for this car… -
Well, my Niva was built in Tolyatti, Volga Federal District, Russia…and my Dodge, and Ford were built in good ole' Deeetroit (okay, okay…the D was built in Warren, and the F was built Dearborn) .
-
The new Silverado came from Indiana, close to Ft. Wayne I think, but the transmission came from south of the border in Mexico, the engine is from either NY or MI.
The wife's Trailblazer is from Delaware. EDIT: I forgot they made Trailblazers at different plants. I think hers is from Ohio.
The Z3 body and chassis is from Spartanberg, SC. The engine and probably transmission are from Germany.
The 1988 F-150 is somewhere in America, I'd have to look it up.
The '77 Corvette is from St. Louis, MO. -
<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4098/5395548121_be5def80bf.jpg" width="450">
18 Chemin du Trêve, Chassieu, France.
Joseph Spalek designed the KV/KVS series and constructed them in this building with three employees. (Sorry, I don't know their names yet….) They made their own unibodies, engines, and many of the smaller components. They even purchased tire casings from Michelin and vulcanized their own tread onto them to get the desired results. The telephone number was (78) 90-13-25, but that's been disconnected for some time now, and is an obsolete format anyway.
The building is now occupied by an electrical supply company called D & D, but the KVS diamond is still visible above the entrance. -
1992 Town Cow: Wixom, Michigan
2002 Ford F-150: Claycomo, Missouri (About 20 miles away from where it is parked right now!)
2007 Chrysler 300: Brampton, Ontario-
I bought the best truck I've owned from an employee of the Claycomo plant, who followed his new truck all the way down the line. I don't know how much influence he had but that sucker was well built.
-
-
In descending order, Hiroshima, Japan; Oxford, England; Dearborn, MI; Wixom, Mi; Atlanta, GA; and Westmoreland, PA.
-
Mine's from Hiroshima too! '97 Mitsubishi Mirage
-
I guess I should have mentioned the cars, but I think some of the locations are pretty self explanatory. RX-8, Mini Cooper, Mustang, Thunderbird, SHO, and GTI.
-
-
Ford Explorer. Chicago.
-
Scratch that, traded it for a F-150 today. Final assembly Kansas City.
-
You already had an all-new 2011 Explorer and you traded it in?
-
Company car. I ordered the Explorer and then bought dirt bikes for me and the boy. A co-worker ordered an F-150 and got an earfull from the missus. Win-Win.
Miss the Explorer a little though.
-
-
-
-
Gothenburg Sweden (Volvo wagon) and Lincoln Alabama (Honda minivan).
-
1994 LeSabre: Buick City, Flint, Michigan.
-
All of my vehicles to date have been Born in the USA
05 F150 – Detroit Rouge Plant
08 Impreza – Japan (it's in the wife's name, thus not blemishing my record)
All my past cars:
85 Mustang LX – Detroit
89 Tempo AWD – Missouri
96 Mustang – Dearborn
03 Grand Am – Lansing -
Hiroshima, Japan:
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3538/3469128687_ce230cba48.jpg">-
Beautiful shot! I just picked up an 8 earlier this month. It's an awesome piece of machinery.
-
-
some crazy dudes back yard in encinitas.
-
My Current Cars: The Mercury Villager was built along side of the Nissan Quest at a Ford Plant in Avon Lake, Ohio. This plant now produced Ford Econolines.. The GMC Envoy was built at the doomed Oklahoma City plant that a tornado went through in May of 2003, and finally closed in Feb of 2008.
-
I tihnk the Oklahoma City plant closed earlier than 2008. 2005 or 6 sounds right to me. The Envoy was also built at Moraine, Ohio. But if I'm thinking correctly, your Envoy has the convertible roof, and I think that was OKC only.
-
-
Alfa Spider – Initial build, Grugliasco. Final assembly, my garage.
-
What is considered to be final assembly on an Italian car?
-
I've only owned it for 16 years, so I'm not yet sure. When it finally gets there, though, I'm confident it will be in my garage.
-
The one right before the one you give up on.
-
-
-
Both are from Ohio. The Honda is from Marysville, and the Ford is from Lorain.
-
<img src="http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/2512597/sn/1524678848/name/n_a" width="450">
12123 South 16th Avenue, Burnsville, Minnesota.
Dave Edmonson designed the HMV Freeway and offered it in gasoline, diesel [offered, but none actually made?] or, as shown above, electric versions. Most of the serial production took place at the Burnsville address, though this photo is from one of the earlier locations, 9341 Penn Avenue South, Bloomington, Minnesota. Mine is gasoline, with the larger (nominally 450cc) Tecumseh engine; a 340cc Tecumseh was also available but seldom requested, though with the smaller engine it was guaranteed to get at least 100 mpg at a steady 40 mph, under specified driving conditions. The phone number was (612) 890-8680, but I've never tried calling it.
I met Mr. Edmonson last August at the Micro/Mini Car World Meet in Illinois. Nice guy.-
Wow. I worked in Burnsville and lived in Bloomington — within 5 miles of both of those locations.
But I moved there in early August '82, so that was about two months after HMV went kaput.-
Neat! The earliest documents give the company address as 6276 Greenleaf Trail, Apple Valley, MN, but I gather that was just his home address at the time, before production started in Bloomington.
-
-
-
My R/T Dakota was built at Dodge City, Warren, Mi. Not too far from Detroit
-
'97 F-150 – Assembly: Cuautitlan, Mexico
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Norfolk, Virginia, USA
São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil
Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Oakville, Ontario, Canada -
Toledo, OH. Sub assemblies elsewhere.
-
Cowley, Hethel and Solihull, Oh My!
-
Gent, Belgium with a lot of parts from Sweden (Volvo V70R)
Hethel, UK (with body panels from France) and Menlo Park, California (Tesla Roadster) -
Rounding out my personal list:
'37 Plymouth: Los Angeles, California
'59 Ford: Milpitas, California (the "San Jose" plant)
'67 SAAB: Trollhättan, Sweden
'82 MG: Longbridge, England (No, not Abingdon. I know, I know….) -
Marysville, OH
-
A GTO from Pontiac, Two Alfa's from Arese, RX8 from Hiroshima and the odd ball, a Legacy from Lafayette.
-
My Chevrolet Opala in São Caetano do Sul (metropolean area of São Paulo)
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_jENN4i7WodY/TF85JLCB3gI/AAAAAAAACtI/crDWOUQ0wZM/s800/DSC05567.JPG" width="550">
My Chevrolet S10 crewcab in São José dos Campos
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_jENN4i7WodY/TWfz_Wr_TuI/AAAAAAAACxk/OWAiBBUTeAY/s640/DSC06788.JPG" width="550">
And my Honda Cb 600 F Hornet was bolted together in Manaus
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_jENN4i7WodY/TWfuGcziygI/AAAAAAAACxc/5nD5VDAf5hE/s640/DSC06786.JPG" width="550">-
Your garage floor is beautiful.
-
The Chevy Opala is beautiful too
-
-
-
Stuttgart-Untertürkheim, Germany
<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2524/3860644017_f062bfe29e.jpg" /> -
Dodge R/T Dakota – Dodge City, Warren, Mi
Dodge class C RV – Dodge City, Warren, Mi
Dodge Polara – Belvidere, Ill
Datsun – Zama, Kanagawa
MGB – Abingdon England
MGB – Abingdon England
MGBGT – Abingdon England
Smart – Smartville, Hambach, France (them damn french!)
(re-post of old pic)
<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2475/3813539334_fd14c7da57.jpg" />-
love the BGTs, i'm going to be visiting one in the process of an engine rebuild this weekend!
-
They are very fun and addicting.
Just be warned though, if you ever get two together they start this weird gravitational/magnetic pull that attracts every other MGB or used part in the county. If you are not careful they collect and breed like rabbits.-
i see nothing wrong with this. the top half of the engine rebuild is done, it's currently sitting on jacks with a pit dug underneath for wiring. engine runs but is not hooked up to the 4 sp. w/OD in 3/4 yet… and all the wiring (aside from the mechanical necessaries) still need to be done, it's in the process and it will be completed… it's a skinny/chrome bumper model in the (i cannot remember the actual name of the color) butterscotch w/thin red over-spray hue…
it'll be fantastic once it's finished!
-
-
-
-
From newest to oldest.
Impala, Oshawa Canada
TrailBlazer, Moraine, Ohio
E21, Munich Germany
2002, Munich Germany
Camaro, Van Nuys
Metropolitian (Dad's) Birmingham England
'60 Apache I have no idea so now my afternoon will be looking up every and all details about its assembly plant and location
The Edsel, http://www.edsel.com/registry/u8718276.htm
And most of those above were rebuilt in a little hell hole of a shop in Wisconsin… -
Ford used put an assembly plant sticker in the window on US built vehicles so my wife's 95 Escort came form Wayne Indiana, while my 97 Saturn SL2 was obviously built in Spring Hill Tennessee. As for the motorcycles, I have no idea where the 83 Honda CM250C came from but the 78 BMW R100S came from Spandau, better known for its machine guns.
-
Hiroshima, Japan (Miata)
Edison, New Jersey (B4000)
Trollhätten, Sweden (9000 Aero)
The above makes me a mostly Ford guy, with one GM that snuck in. -
The sad thing is, I actually don't know- I only found out when doing some further research for this comment that Volvo had a PV544 assembly plant in Halifax, Nova Scotia. So the 544 was built either there or in Lundby, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Other cars in the family:
Lingotto, Turin, Italy
Tsutsumi, Toyota City, Japan
Arakawa Auto Body, Toyota City, Japan -
1979 AMC Spirit- Kenosha Wisconsin
1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Brougham- some UAW hell that did not paint the steel before welding the car together, thus letting the roof rot out
1991 Geo Metro- CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario Canada
1992 Geo Metro- CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario Canada
1998 Nissan Frontier 4×2- Smyrna, Tennessee -
RR – Solihull, England
E55 – Sindelfingen, Germany
Stilo – Betim, Brazil
307 – El Palomar, Argentina
When they're stacked up like that I feel like I should care about reliability way more than I do.-
RR in Brazil?, quite fancy.
-
Well, my parents are (and that's Range Rover, not Rolls Royce. They're not that poupon-ish). When I moved out I was stuck with the Stilo only. Now I only see the RR on weekends, if that.
-
-
-
My most reliable car was built in
Togichi, Japan
My least reliable car was built in
Bratislava, Slovakia
My disassembled, nonfunctional car currently in another county was built in
South Bend, IN and finished in
Hamilton, ONT -
Challenger – Brampton, ON (Engine: Saltillo, Mexico)
Dakota – Dodge City, Warren MI (Engine: Mack Avenue I, Detroit, MI)
Thunderbird – Lorain, OH (Engine: Romeo, MI) -
1993 Mercury MGM, Ontario
-
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3029/2776332372_872e64f625.jpg">
Hiroshima, Japan.
(Thankfully not my car.) -
1995 Ford F-150: Claycomo, Missouri (engine from Cleveland Engine Plant #1)
1995 Toyota Previa LE S/C: Toyota Auto Body Plant #1, Toyota City, Japan -
My 1986 Jeep Commando was built in the home of the Rock n Roll museum, Toledo, Ohio.
-
Southgate, CA August 1965
Engine from the Tonawanda plant… sadly just a 327 😀 -
The 2cv was made in Belgium and the Vibe was built at the NUMMI plant in California. So, my Toyota is more American than my last car, an Escort wagon, built in Mexico.
-
If my info is right my Comet was built in Lorain OH. My VW was "Built in West Germany" in Wolfsburg or as I like to call it, KDF-Stadt.
-
Torslanda Plant, Göthenburg and Dartmouth, Halifax, Nova Scotia
-
<img src="http://www.imps4ever.info/linwood/linwood.jpg">
Linwood, Scotland (Sunbeam Imp Sport)
<img src="http://www.sunbeamtiger.co.uk/pictures/scans/ryton.jpg">
Ryton-on-Dunsmore, England (Sunbeam Alpine)
Uitenhage, South Africa (Golf GTI)
Sindelfingen, Germany (wife's Mercedes W204)-
I used to pass Ryton regularly on my way home from Uni. You could smell the paintshop as you drove past on the A45. Then, suddenly, in 2003 it closed and was compltely demolished very soon after. Sad.
-
-
<img src="http://i52.tinypic.com/1037uif.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
It is from West Germany if only just. Within a month they reunited to form Germany. -
'11 Mustang: Flat Rock, Michigan
'02 Civic: East Liberty, Ohio.-
Another for Flat Rock- '05 GT.
My Ranger was built in St Paul, Minn at the Twin Cities facility. didn't know that until about 3 minutes ago.
-
-
Brampton Assembly, Ontario: '2 (Chrysler) Intrepid. Currently building LXs
Tahara, Aichi Prefecture: '84 Supra. Currently building Lexus LS, GS, and IS. This was tricky to find out, most VIN decoders just say 'Japan' (which the first digit of the VIN will already tell you). Thanks to joelev on the ih8mud forum for posting this list:
0 (zero) = Tahara
1 = Motomachi
2 = Takaoka
3 = Tsutsumi
4 = Honsha
5 = Kariya City (Toyota Auto Body Co., Ltd.), Aichi Prefecture plant
6 = Kyushu in Miyata-cho, Fukuoka Prefecture (Toyota Motor Kyushu)
7 = Daihatsu Motors subsidiary in Ikeda City, Osaka
8 = Hino Motors subsidiary in Hino City, Tokyo
9 = Kanto Auto Works in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture -
Current rides:
Hanover, Germany – 2001 VW EuroVan MV
Lafayette, IN – 2002 Subaru Legacy L-Special Edition wagon -
Fremont was the town
California bound-
Lots of history there.. Corolla, Prizm, Nova, S-10, Tacoma, or other?
-
-
<img src="http://www.sohc4.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/suzuka.jpg" width="500" />
Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, Japan. -
2000 ford focus- Wayne, Michigan
2.0 cvh Dearborn Engine Plant -
Both my cars were built about an hour from my home – the '10 Civic was born in the Alliston, Ontario plant (which, given its proximity to HWY 400, I should really swing by one day on my way home from school). And the '92 YJ came from the old AMC plant (not Bramalea) which was later knocked down (I think there's a Lowes and some condos on the grounds or something). Without trying, I've managed to buy mostly Canadian-built cars – my first car was an Intrepid (which was from the Bramalea plant), and I later owned an Oakville-built F150.
-
The Ford was built in Flat Rock, Michigan:
<img src="http://www.muscularmustangs.com/images8/mustang_production_line.jpg">
The Bonneville was built at Lake Orion, Michigan:
<img src="http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/05gw3rM5Ys5GO/610x.jpg">-
The Flat Rock assembly looks futuristic compared to the old Dearborn plant where my old Bullitt was born. That place looked like a dungeon with cars.
-
-
Toyota City and somewhere in Ontario for the betterhalf's Civic.
-
'99 SVT Cobra: The Rouge-Dearborn, MI
Previous Car:
'99 SVT Contour: Kansas City Assembly
Parent's Cars
Taurus: Chicago, Illinois
Windstar: Oakville, Ontario, Canada -
My current car was built in the Tsutsumi factory in Toyota City, Japan. The ride before that hails from Georgetown, Kentucky, and my next car (should only be a couple weeks now!) was built in Toluca, Mexico, with an engine from Michigan!
-
My 240D was built in Sindelfingen, which now produces the SLS, the Maybach, and… well, pretty much every non-SUV Benz.
<img src="http://www.daimler.com/Projects/c2c/channel/images/647745_1160494_800_512_sindelfingen_luftaufnahme_800.jpg" width="600" /> -
From current backwards:
01 Focus- Hermosillo, Mexico
06 Canyon- Shreveport, LA
94 Ranger- St. Paul, MN
92 Camaro- Van Nuys, CA
86 Omni- Belvidere, IL
86 Calais- Lansing, MI
87 Cherokee- Toledo, OH
87 Cavalier- Lordstown, OH -
'68 Ford F100- Oakville, ON
'93 Subaru Impreza- Ota, Gumna, Japan
'01 Olds Intrigue- Kansas City, KS
'09 Jeep Liberty- Toledo, OH (but the engine comes from right here in the D!) -
I believe both of the Buicks to be made in good ole Canada, but I can't be sure and don't feel like checking.
Interesting side, my uncle and gramps both previously worked for Harrison Radiator in Lockport, NY for many years and I know for certain that in the hearse, both the heater core and probably the radiator before it was replaced, came from that plant. I'd like to think my uncle had been on one of the lines that processed one of them somewhere around 1987. Who knows.
Leave a Reply