San Jose Assembly Plant

San Jose Assembly Plant
Location of San Jose Assembly Plant
Operated 17 May 1955 (1955-05-17)–
20 May 1983 (1983-05-20)
Location US-CA
Coordinates 37°24′57″N 121°53′53″W / 37.41583°N 121.89806°W / 37.41583; -121.89806Coordinates: 37°24′57″N 121°53′53″W / 37.41583°N 121.89806°W / 37.41583; -121.89806
Industry Automotive
Products Automobiles and light trucks
Employees approx. 6,000
Area 1,414,000 square feet (131,400 m2)[1]
Defunct July 5, 1993 (1993-07-05)

The Ford Motor Company San Jose Assembly Plant was the automaker's primary Northern California manufacturing site after World War II from 1955–1983,[1][2] replacing the Richmond Assembly facility. The plant was located in what is now Milpitas, California, United States. Numerous vehicles were produced at the plant including the Ford Falcon, Ford Maverick and Ford Mustang. It was also the manufacturing location for the West coast of the Ford Fairlane, Ford Torino, Ford Pinto, Ford Escort and the short lived Edsel Ranger and Edsel Pacer. Mercury products such as the Mustang-based Cougar, Montego, Comet, Bobcat, Capri and the Lynx were also assembled there. Ford F-series trucks were produced there, nearly from inception of the plant until its closure in 1983.

History

Personnel and equipment were transferred from Richmond to San Jose starting 23 February 1955. The last truckload of equipment was scheduled to depart Richmond on 26 February 1955, with most of the transfer work performed by Ford employees working overtime.[1]

The plant closed in 1983, citing competition from Japanese imports[2] and the building reopened as a mall in 1994, the Great Mall of the Bay Area. It was one of the first plants in the nation where the term "automation" originated because most of the assembly line was interlinked and did not depend on human control.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Ford Motor Co. Has Invested $1,420,Million In New Plants". Ocala Star-Banner. AP. 18 February 1955. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Ford blames Japanese imports for shutdown of California plant". Eugene Register-Guard. UPI. Retrieved 26 April 2016.



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