Dodge Challenger Forums - Muscle Car gives Brampton relief

Again, the Canadian media is letting the driving public know that the Dodge Challenger will be built in Brampton, Ontario. Here is the article in todays Toronto Star.

Muscle car gives Brampton relief

RICK MADONIK/TORONTO STAR
Bill Bagozzi, a concept car tech, prepares DaimlerChrysler's new-old 2008 Challenger for its media debut. The sports car will be built at DaimlerChrysler's Brampton plant, the automaker confirmed Tuesday, Feb. 13.

Challenger might save jobs as Chrysler set to announce deep cuts elsewhere
Feb 14, 2007 04:30 AM
Tony Van Alphen
Business Reporter
DaimlerChrysler Canada Inc. confirmed last night it will build the legendary Challenger muscle sports car in Brampton, allaying fears the company would today announce the loss of a shift and about 900 jobs at the plant.

Canadian president and CEO Reid Bigland pulled the cover off a bright orange Challenger concept model at the downtown Steam Whistle Brewery, saying it will keep assembly plants running.

"It's good news that the Dodge Challenger will be added to the Canadian production lineup," Bigland said.

"Quickly bringing desirable new products such as the Dodge Challenger to market is critical to keeping our plants humming and our dealerships busy."

Bigland showed off the car only hours before the auto giant's parent was to reveal a restructuring plan and deep job cuts across North American operations this morning.

While the Brampton plant's future appears secure, the plan will also reveal significant job cuts elsewhere. That might include a casting operation in Etobicoke and a minivan complex in Windsor.

About 1,100 workers are already on layoff at DaimlerChrysler in Ontario and the workers' future appears bleak.

The possibility of a shift loss in Brampton has kept plant workers and suppliers in the parts sector on edge for weeks.

Last week, Canadian Auto Workers president Buzz Hargrove increased anxiety on the shop floor when he said the job losses "would be beyond anything I ever imagined" after a private briefing from top Chrysler officials.

The Brampton plant lost about 1,000 jobs and a third shift in 2001 but the company introduced it again in 2005 when the operation could not keep up with demand for the hot Chrysler 300 sedan, Dodge Charger sports car and Magnum wagon.

The addition of the Challenger, a two-door, rear-drive vehicle with more than 400 horsepower, would assure the future of the third shift, according to industry watchers and local union officials.

They said that although demand for the three existing vehicles in production at the Brampton plant is slowing, it would be difficult to cut one shift and then add the Challenger next year.

"I don't think we have very much to worry about," added Leon Rideout, a senior CAW official after hearing about the Challenger's addition.

Output at the plant dipped less than 1 per cent last year. The company estimates production of about 50,000 annually for the Challenger starting in April 2008, according to an internal document.

The Challenger will compete primarily against the Ford Mustang as well as the Chevrolet Camaro, which is also making a comeback at a plant in Oshawa.

The Brampton plant will become Chrysler's first assembly operation to build four models on the same line.

Chrysler stopped production of the Challenger in 1974 after less than five years, but it re-introduced the model as a concept with many of the same muscle car styling cues of its predecessor at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The company then decided last July it would revive the model, which prompted immediate speculation the Brampton plant would build it because the Challenger's platform, or chassis, is the same as the other models there.

Reports indicate the Chrysler Group will cut 10,000 production and salaried jobs, close some operations and eliminate