The Detroit factory that makes small numbers of Dodge Vipers by hand will close Aug. 31 because production of the car has ended, Fiat Chrysler informed Michigan officials.
Fiat Chrysler (FCA) decided to end production of the Viper supercars with the 2017 model-year after sales didn’t meet expectations of 1,500 per year, USA Today reported. More than 25,400 Vipers were made at the plant between 1992 and 2016.
A letter from the company’s HR department to Michigan officials said the company planned to offer all 87 employees who worked at the factory jobs at other locations, according to government documents.
"The plant closing will be permanent and will involve the entire facility," the letter read. "No bumping rights will exist." Bumping rights give senior employees rights to replace less senior ones when their jobs are eliminated.
Announcing the end of production in 2016 led to an increase in orders, and all Vipers are now sold out, Mlive.com reported.
The closing of the Viper factory, known as the Conner Assembly Plant, leaves only one assembly plant completely within Detroit borders: a Fiat Chrysler factory on Jefferson Avenue, according to USA Today. GM also has a plant that spans both Detroit and Hamtramck, and also remains headquartered in Detroit.
The 392,000-square-foot Viper plant was built in 1966 and became part of Chrysler in 1995, USA Today reported. It also made the Prowler, the SRT10 Roadster, and the SRT10 Coupe. It was in continuous operation except for in 2010 after the company halted production of Vipers temporarily. The plant was then renovated and reopened in 2012.
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