Arlington Assembly is a General Motors automobile factory located in Arlington, Texas. The plant has operated for more than 60 years and today manufactures large SUVs from GM's divisions Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac.

Arlington Assembly
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Operated1954–present
LocationArlington, Texas
Coordinates32°44′18″N 97°04′25″W / 32.7383°N 97.0736°W / 32.7383; -97.0736
IndustrySUVs
ProductsAutomobiles
Employees5,641 (2022) [1]
Area250 acres (1.0 km2)
Volume5,075,000 sq ft (471,500 m2)
Address2525 E Abram St.
Owner(s)General Motors
Websitegm.com/arlington

History

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Arlington Assembly label on the driver's door of a Cadillac Escalade (GMT926)

The Arlington plant was opened in 1954 to assemble both automobiles and aircraft, but has focused on the former use for most of its history. Arlington Assembly was originally part of the Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac Assembly Division and was used to assemble Buicks, Oldsmobiles, and Pontiacs. The Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac Assembly Division was renamed General Motors Assembly Division in 1965 after it also began to assemble Chevrolet cars in 1963. Early automobile production included models like the Pontiac Chieftain and later, the Chevrolet Bel Air. The factory would continue to produce many large GM cars through the 1990s including products from Buick, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet and Cadillac. Arlington Assembly was the last GM B-body manufacturing facility when GM decided to consolidate operations and convert the plant to SUV production. The plant occupies 250 acres (1,000,000 square meters). Arlington Assembly has produced models for all of GM's primary American brands: Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC.

The first GM factory in the "Dallas-Ft. Worth" area was originally built in 1917 to build the Chevrolet Series 490 and the Chevrolet Series F on the south side of West Seventh Street and Slayton Street just west of Trinity Park. Due to a flood of the Trinity River in 1922 and flood control taxes levied by the local government, GM closed the factory in 1924 and in 1929 Leeds Assembly opened in Kansas City, Missouri.[2] The Chevrolet Motor Company Building in Dallas replaced the Trinity Park facility from 1923 until 1935 and was replaced by the more advanced Arlington Factory in the early 1950s.

Vehicles produced

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Current

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Since 2020 (2021 model year), Arlington Assembly manufactures large SUVs based on GM's GMT T1XX platform:

Former

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Milestone vehicles

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These are the milestone vehicles produced by Arlington Assembly:[3]

  • 1 millionth vehicle: 1965 Pontiac Bonneville
  • 2 millionth vehicle: 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass
  • 3 millionth vehicle: 1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
  • 4 millionth vehicle: 1981 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  • 5 millionth vehicle: 1985 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
  • 6 millionth vehicle: 1993 Buick Roadmaster
  • 7 millionth vehicle: 2002 Cadillac Escalade
  • 8 Millionth vehicle: 2006 Chevrolet Tahoe
  • 9 Millionth vehicle: 2011 Chevrolet Suburban
  • 10 millionth vehicle: 2015 Chevrolet Suburban
  • 11 millionth vehicle: 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe RST[4]
  • 12 millionth vehicle: 2021 Chevrolet Suburban[5]
  • 13 millionth vehicle: 2024 Cadillac Escalade-V[6]

References

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  1. ^ Arlington Assembly at GM.com
  2. ^ [1] Lost Fort Worth, page 52
  3. ^ "GM Arlington Assembly Builds 10 Millionth Vehicle in 60th Year" (Press release). Arlington, Texas: Chevrolet. March 25, 2015. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  4. ^ "2018 Chevrolet Tahoe RST Marks 11 Millionth Vehicle Built At Arlington Assembly Plant". 1 December 2017.
  5. ^ "Hollywood Star Unveiled In Arlington For Film Industry Mainstay Chevy Suburban". 21 June 2021.
  6. ^ https://www.arlingtontx.gov/news/my_arlington_t_x/news_stories/general_motors_milestone

32°44′18″N 97°4′25″W / 32.73833°N 97.07361°W / 32.73833; -97.07361

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