↑ arvau

Wikipedia / Detroit Assembly

Detroit Assembly (also known as Detroit Cadillac, Cadillac Assembly, Cadillac Main, or Clark Street Assembly) was a General Motors automobile factory in Detroit, Michigan on Clark Street, south of Michigan Avenue (U.S. Route 12). It began operations in 1921 and Cadillac bodies were supplied by Fleetwood Metal Body in 1921 after Fisher Body assumed operations. It was the second location that built Cadillacs, when Cadillac originally started out as the Henry Ford Company which was located at the intersection of Cass Avenue and Amsterdam Street. Engine block and cylinder heads were cast at Saginaw Metal Casting Operations then assembled at Tonawanda Engine before delivery to Detroit Assembly for installation.

In 1903, the Cadillac Motor Company began operations at a factory built at 450 Amsterdam Street (now an apartment complex, although the original factory window style is still visible to this day), Detroit, and began building cars at the all new Clark Street facility in 1921, where the factory manufactured Cadillac models until December 23, 1987, when production of Cadillac's full-size D-bodies moved to Arlington Assembly in Arlington, Texas, while production of downsized FWD DeVille/Fleetwood/Seville models were relocated to Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly and Orion Assembly by 1985. It is approximately 2 miles southeast of the original Lincoln factory located at 6200 West Warren Avenue.

All Cadillac vehicles were built only at this home factory, with production of popular selling models later added to Linden, New Jersey, South Gate, California or Arlington, Texas in "knock down kits" starting in the 1930s to meet demand. The bodies were built by Fisher at Fleetwood Plant #18 at 261 W End St, and transferred by rail to Clark Street for final assembly.

From 1984 to 1987, the plant also built the Oldsmobile 88 and Custom Cruiser and the Chevrolet Caprice.

Detroit Assembly used the VIN codes "Q" and "9."

The site of the plant was redeveloped into the 88-acre Clark Street Technology Park in 1997 by General Motors and three other partners. It is now the location for Inland Waters Pollution Control.

LaSalle Factory/DeSoto Factory

For a brief time Cadillac's LaSalle was built at a separate factory in Detroit called Wyoming Assembly at 6000 Wyoming Avenue just north of Ford Road east of the Ford Drive-In Theatre. It was built in 1917 to manufacture Liberty Engines for airplanes used during WW I, then the factory was used by Chalmers Automobile to build the Saxon automobile until 1922. General Motors bought the Chalmers Plant in 1926 and 1927 built LaSalle cars there. The factory is adjacent to the Dearborn neighborhood and is 2.75 miles west of the Clark Street Factory location. After LaSalle was no longer manufactured, it was purchased by Chrysler in 1934 and became a DeSoto factory until that brand was cancelled in the early 1960s. The factory is nearby railroad tracks which were very busy supplying coachwork from the Fleetwood Factory or other Fisher factories within Detroit and shipping finished product to cities across the United States.

Vehicles Manufactured

Historical and classic, 1902-1949

Early Antique

1904 Cadillac Models A and B

  • Model A — 72in wheelbase single-cylinder engine

  • Model B — 76in wheelbase single-cylinder engine

1905 Cadillac Models B, C, D, E and F

1906 Cadillac Models H, K, L, and M

  • Model H — 102in wheelbase four-cylinder engine

  • Model K — 74in wheelbase single-cylinder engine

  • Model L — 110in wheelbase four-cylinder engine

  • Model M — 76in wheelbase single-cylinder engine

1907 Cadillac Models G, H, K, and M

  • Model G — 100in wheelbase four-cylinder engine

  • Model H — 102in wheelbase four-cylinder engine

  • Model K — 74in wheelbase single-cylinder engine

  • Model M — 76in wheelbase single-cylinder engine

1908 Cadillac Models G, H, M, S and T

  • Model G — 100in wheelbase four-cylinder engine

  • Model H — 102in wheelbase four-cylinder engine

  • Model M — 76in wheelbase single-cylinder engine

  • Model S — 82in wheelbase single-cylinder engine

  • Model T — 82in wheelbase single-cylinder engine

1909-1911 Cadillac Model Thirty

  • 1909 — 106in wheelbase four-cylinder engine

  • 1910 — 110in wheelbase; 120in wheelbase (limousine) four-cylinder engine Fisher

  • 1911 — 116in wheelbase four-cylinder engine Fisher

  • 1912 — Cadillac Model 1912; 116in wheelbase four-cylinder engine Fisher

  • 1913 — Cadillac Model 1913; 120in wheelbase four-cylinder engine Fisher

  • 1914 — Cadillac Model 1914; 120and 134in wheelbase four-cylinder engine Fisher

  • 1915 — Cadillac Type 51; 122 and 145in wheelbase V8 Fisher

  • 1916 — Cadillac Type 53; 122 132 and 145in wheelbase V8 Fisher

  • 1917 — Cadillac Type 55; 125 and 145in wheelbase V8 Fisher

  • 1918-1919 Cadillac Type 57; 125 132 and 145in wheelbase V8 Fisher

1920s

All vehicles listed below were manufactured at Clark Street Assembly

1930s

1930 Cadillac Series 353, 370 and 452 Fisher Fleetwood

1931 Cadillac Series 355, 370-A and 452-A Fisher Fleetwood

1932 Cadillac Series 355-B, 370-B and 452-B Fisher Fleetwood

  • Series 355-B — 134 and 156in wheelbase V8 Fisher Fleetwood

  • Series 370-B — 140 and 156in wheelbase V12 Fisher Fleetwood

  • Series 452-B — 143and 149in wheelbase V16 Fisher Fleetwood

1933 Cadillac Series 355-C, 370-C and 452-C Fisher Fleetwood

1934 Cadillac Series 10, 20, 30 and 452-D Fisher Fleetwood

1935 Cadillac Series 10, 20, 30 and 452-D Fisher Fleetwood

1936 Cadillac Series 36–60, 36–70, 36–75, 36–80, 36–85, 36-90 Fisher Fleetwood

1937 Cadillac Series 36–60, 37–65, 37–70, 37–75, 37–85, 37-90 Fisher Fleetwood

1938 Cadillac Series 38–60, 38-60S, 38–65, 38–75, 38-90 Fisher Fleetwood

1939 Cadillac Series 39-60S, 39–65, 39–75, 39-90 Fisher Fleetwood

1940s

1940 Cadillac Series 40-60S, 40–62, 40–72, 40–75, 40-90 Fisher Fleetwood

1941 Cadillac Series 41-60S, 41–61, 41–62, 41–63, 41–67, 41-75 Fisher Fleetwood

1942 Cadillac Series 42-60S, 42–61, 42–62, 42–63, 42–67, 42-75 Fisher Fleetwood

1946 Cadillac Series 60S, 61, 62, 75 Fisher Fleetwood

1947 Cadillac Series 60S, 61, 62, 75 Fisher Fleetwood

1948-1949 Cadillac Series 60S, 61, 62, 75 Fisher Fleetwood

Modern Era

See also

References