Linden Assembly was a General Motors automobile factory in Linden, New Jersey. The 2,600,000-square-foot (240,000 m2) factory opened in 1937 to build Buick, Pontiac, Cadillac, and Oldsmobile vehicles from "knock down kits". During World War II, the plant was also used to produce fighter planes for the United States military, primarily the FM Wildcat, an improved version of the F4F Wildcat, as it is adjacent to the Linden Airport. After automobile production resumed, it was under the management of GM's newly created Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac Assembly Division created in 1945. By the 1970s, the plant was producing luxury models from Buick, Cadillac, and Oldsmobile. In the mid-1980s, the factory was retooled to produce the new L-body Chevrolet Beretta and Corsica.
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Beginning in September 1991, the facility was idled and retooled for truck and sport utility vehicle assembly. After reopening in 1993, it produced the Chevrolet S-10, GMC Sonoma, Chevrolet Blazer, and GMC Jimmy models. In February 2002, GM announced plans to shut down the plant in 2004, though the closure date changed after negotiations with the state government and union. A white 2005 Blazer was the last vehicle to leave the line on April 20, 2005.
In July 2007, GM and the City of Linden settled numerous tax appeals going back to 1983; Linden agreeing to pay GM $4.8 million and clearing the way for the sale and subsequent redevelopment of the 104-acre (0.42 km2) site. The property has been sold for $77 million on February 1, 2008 to Duke Realty, which is redeveloping the facility as an industrial and retail project called Legacy Commerce Center. Most of the structures were demolished by August 2008.
Products
Cars
Trucks and SUVs
Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac Assembly Division (1945-1965)
Plants operating under Chevrolet Assembly management prior to General Motors Assembly Division management (most established pre-1945) were located at St. Louis, Missouri; Janesville, Wisconsin; Buffalo, New York; Norwood, Ohio; Flint (#2), Michigan; Oakland, California; Tarrytown, New York; Lakewood, Georgia; Leeds, Missouri; Baltimore, Maryland; Los Angeles (Van Nuys), California; Ypsilanti (Willow Run), Michigan; and Lordstown, Ohio. Framingham, Massachusetts is unusual in that it changed from B-O-P to Chevy management prior to becoming GMAD.
The terminology is confusing because most plants assembled more than just Chevrolet or B-O-P, and refers to the management structure only. The five brands originated vehicles from their respective "home" plants, where vehicles were assembled locally for their respective regions. Vehicles were also produced in "knock-down" kits and sent to the branch assembly locations. The "home" branches were Flint, Michigan for both Buick and Chevrolet; Oldsmobile at Lansing, Michigan; Pontiac at Pontiac, Michigan; and Cadillac at Detroit, Michigan.