The American Automobile Plant map project

Some years back there were a number of great threads here on old car factories. Well, for the last couple of years I've been working [[slowly and quietly) on an effort to map them--all of them. I've made a little progress, but there are people out there with much greater resources at their fingertips than I have. If you'd be interested in participating, drop me a line, or just go ahead over to the map and make your mark. The minimum requirement is address and preferably years of operation. Any other notes [["used to be a blacksmith shop, used by Chrysler to store stampings after the war") are appreciated.

http://goo.gl/maps/uBh5

Dave

[[it's possible I mentioned this on the old forum; if so, I apologize)

The Kissel Car Company had a plant in Hartford, WI. In 1965 Chrysler bought the facory and built marine outboard motors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kissel_Motor_Car_Company

http://www.discount-marine-parts.com/ob_chrysler.html

Thanks, I just talked to the historical society out there, and added it to the map. 15 acres, 26 years of production.

http://goo.gl/maps/5PDP

Soon after the purchase, Fleetwood’s sales office and design personnel were moved from New York City to Detroit. Fisher Body’s former #18 plant in southwest Detroit was reassigned to Fleetwood. Located at 261 West End Ave. at the corner of West Fort St. in Delray, Michigan, it was designed by the famous Detroit architect Albert Kahn. The building was built in 1917 to manufacture WWI aircraft, and later turned to the manufacture of Ford, Dodge, and Chrysler-Maxwell bodies until Fleetwood was given the plant in 1926. LaSalle bodies were built there through 1940 after which the plant turned to war work. In 1946 it returned to manufacturing bodies for Cadillac, producing about 200,000 per year during its years of peak activity. It was closed down when Cadillac’s modern Hamtramck assembly plant opened up in 1985, and was eventually torn down in 1993

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Originally Posted by proscriptus

Thanks, I just talked to the historical society out there, and added it to the map. 15 acres, 26 years of production.

http://goo.gl/maps/5PDP

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no problem...currently the factory is home to Steel Craft and employs 300

http://www.scc-wi.com/html/companyinfo.htm

Speaking for Ypsilanti, Mi-- I see you have a "google pin" for the old Willow run bomber plant, which after WW2 became a Kaiser-Frasier plant [[1946-52?) and later a GM facility with a transmission plant [[Hydramatic) across from a BOC group assembly plant [[Willow Run proper). Also in the city proper, was A Ford Generator/alternator/starter assembly plant [[1932-until recently). There was also an Apex Motor Company which built a model called the "Ace" that was 1920-22-- By the way, the Ypsilanti Historical Society is offering a 5000 dollar bounty for anyone who can produce one of these Ace cars-- Hitting the Mega-millions jackpot is probably more likely though...

Hello Dave:

That is a really nifty projest you have going there. I plan to use it in 2013 when the Packard Club will return to Detroit for their national convention.

By the way, your start date for the Packard Plant on 1580 E. Grand Boulevard should be 1903, not 1905. And how about listing the Packard Proving Grounds on 49965 VanDyke Ave., Shelby Township, MI? Dates of Packard operation were 1926 to 1956.

I am also working on a committee to restore the PPG and you can read about the history here:
http://www.packardmotorfdn.org/Marke...ion%20page.htm

I am sure other auto historian types will be chiming in with more information.

I

Here's a link to an older version of the OCF db. Google docs' server is down for uploading, so I can't post latest version. There are tabs on the bottom for pages on coachbuilders, parts mfgs, etc...

Old Car Factory Thread DB ver 2.7

Many of the pre-1921 addresses listed use the old street address system, so placement on a modern map will need conversion.

Does the Dutch DAF truck factory count? It's American [[Paccar) owned. And what does the colour code reprisent? I see blue, red and yellow markers.

Not sure if anyone has mentioned Willys before , but there was a plant which could be seen alongside I-75 in Toledo , Ohio . I haven't been that way for awhile so it could still be there . They also made vehicles for the military
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willys

I can't believe you missed the birthplace of Ford underneath the Michgan Theater.