CamaroZ28.Com Message Board - Olds Aurora is discontinued to make way for new Grand Am

Quote:

Phasing out aging brand: Olds cuts Aurora , Orion factory gears up for Grand Am assembly
March 29, 2003

BY MARK PHELAN
DETROIT FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
As the last Oldsmobile Aurora rolled off the line at General Motors Corp.'s Orion assembly plant Friday, workers looked ahead to more than doubling the plant's output when the new Pontiac Grand Am goes into production in mid-2004.

Grand Am production could raise the plant's output to as many as 250,000 cars, more than double the 121,354 it built in 2002, union sources said.

The Orion Township plant in northern Oakland County has a single shift with 1,850 hourly and 150 salaried employees building 495 cars a day. Grand Am production will add at least one shift and could move the plant to three-shift production, a union official said. GM expects the plant to employ 2,200 people in two shifts.

The second shift should begin work as soon as the new Grand Am goes into production, GM said. At least some of the jobs for the second shift probably would go to former Orion workers who moved to GM's Pontiac pickup assembly plant when Orion went to one shift in April. "If the market demands more Grand Ams, we will look at ways to meet demand," GM spokesman Dan Flores said.

The end of Aurora production moves the Oldsmobile brand one step closer to its demise in 2004.

The Aurora was supposed to reinvigorate Oldsmobile when the first model of the V8-powered near-luxury sedan hit the market in 1994. Orion built all of the 215,123 Auroras sold since then, including a "Final 500" limited edition produced over the last couple of weeks.

Neither the Aurora nor several other attractive products like the Intrigue midsize sedan and Bravada sport-utility vehicle were enough to save Oldsmobile.

Founded in 1897 -- it is the oldest U.S. automotive brand -- Oldsmobile will cease to exist when GM ends production of the Bravada, Silhouette minivan and Alero compact built in Moraine, Ohio; Doraville, Ga., and Lansing, respectively.

The Orion plant built 7,217 Auroras, 32,550 Buick Park Avenues, 43,190 Buick LeSabres and 38,397 Pontiac Bonnevilles last year.

Bonneville production will move to GM's Detroit-Hamtramck plant within the next couple of months. GM hasn't said when Orion will cease building the LeSabre and Park Avenue in order to prepare for the Grand Am. GM has not revealed plans for continuing the LeSabre and Park Avenue production.

Worth noting here is that Bonneville is being moved to Detroit-Hamtramck. This plant currently makes Sevilles, Devilles, and the LeSabre. Seville will be pulled from the plant next year to join the CTS & Caddy's crossover at Lansing, and both LeSabre & Bonneville will be replaced year after next (2006).

Considering plant refurbishing times, and it's normal capacity of 200,000 cars per year (more if needed), I'm going to take a stab that Detroit-Hamtramck will be the plant that produces GM's volume RWD cars starting in 2006 for the 2007 model year. :)