Brampton Assembly (AMC)

The factory was built at the corner of Steeles Avenue and Kennedy Road for American Motors Canada, Inc., who relocated operations from the old Danforth assembly plant (now Shoppers World Danforth) - which also previously served as the Canadian production site of the Ford Model T and Model A - to Peel-Elder's new "Peel Village" neighborhood in Brampton. The facility produced its first Rambler Classic on 26 January 1961.{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=1hTrCgAAQBAJ&dq=AMC+Brampton+Assembly&pg=PA61 |page=61 |title=The new domestic automakers in the United States and Canada: history, impacts, and prospects |first=Andrew James |last=Jacobs |publisher=Lexington Books |year=2016 |isbn=9780739188262 |accessdate=7 January 2016}}

The facility was composed of an assembly plant, parts warehouse, and engine plant, with an annual capacity of over 50,000 vehicles while employing 1,100 hourly and 500 salaried workers.{{cite web|title=The Hatchery - Section II - Vehicle Production at the American Motors Corporation |page=10 |url= http://amceaglesden.com/images/Eaglebook/02bookthehatchery.pdf |work=AMC Eagle Nest |accessdate=7 January 2016}} The Rambler Classic was built on a line speed of 32 cars per shift.{{cite web|title=The History of Brampton's Largest Union Local - UNIFOR 1285 |url= https://uniforlocal1285.ca/the-history-of-bramptons-largest-union-local/ |work=UNIFOR Local 1285 |accessdate=28 March 2018}} The facility was soon producing 33,000 cars annually in Canada.{{cite book|title=Auto pact: creating a borderless North American auto industry, 1960-1971 |first=Dimitry |last=Anastakis| page=125 |publisher=University of Toronto Press |year=2005 |isbn=9780802038210 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=clStFG50uGEC&dq=1961+American+Motors+Brampton+1966+produced+33,000+cars+in+Canada&pg=PA125 |accessdate=7 January 2016}} This assembly plant produced Rambler Americans, AMC Rebels, and later, Hornets, Concords, Gremlins, Spirits, and Eagles.

A long rail spur was built south from Canadian National Railway's busy Halton Sub mainline to service the plant. New automobiles were loaded with ramps onto autoracks for rail shipment at the plant.{{fact|date=August 2022}}

With minimal Canadian production before 1965, American Motors was in the best position of the U.S. automakers to take advantage of the Canada–United States Automotive Products Agreement.[https://books.google.com/books?id=zbPAC7_rOWIC&pg=PT196&lpg=PT196&dq=AMC+best+position+to+capitalize+on+the+agreement+Brampton+operation Anastakis, p. 128.] This plant also allowed AMC to export cars within Commonwealth countries at a favorable tariff rate, making AMC the number one US nameplate in markets such as Trinidad and Jamaica in the 1960s.{{cite journal|journal=Auto-Universum 1966 (English Edition) |title=The American Motors Story |last=Billeter |first=Vera |editor-first=Arthur |editor-last=Logoz |year=1965 |publisher=Verlag International Automobile Parade |location=Zürich, Switzerland |volume=IX |page=18}} The assembly of Ambassador models was moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin while production of Ramblers and Rebels increased. By 1969, the output of AMC's Brampton operation was destined for the eastern half of the continent, while Kenosha supplied the western regions.[https://books.google.com/books?id=clStFG50uGEC&pg=PA128&dq=In+1969+AMC%27s+Brampton+operation+produced+for+the+entire+eastern Anastakis, pp. 128-129.]

In 1977, AMC hired the first female assembly worker, Cecilia Palmer, who became Canadian Auto Workers Local 1285's first sister. The organization is now named Unifor Local 1285.

Passenger car assembly was moved from Brampton to Kenosha in 1978, and this allowed AMC to expand production of its popular Jeep CJ-5 and CJ-7 models.{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=MDkdAQAAMAAJ&q=the+transfer+of+passenger+car+assembly+from+Brampton+to+Kenosha+in+early+1978+gave+AMC+the+opportunity+to |pages=11–23 |title=Corporate Strategies of the Automotive Manufacturers: Strategic histories - Volume 2 of Corporate Strategies of the Automotive Manufacturers: Final Report |first=John B. |last=Schnapps |publisher=U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |year=1978 |accessdate=7 January 2016}}

As Renault increased control of AMC since 1979, the future of the old Brampton facility was in jeopardy by 1982.{{cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/futureofcanadasa0000perr |url-access= registration |quote= AMC Brampton Assembly. |page=[https://archive.org/details/futureofcanadasa0000perr/page/153 153] |title=The Future of Canada's Auto Industry: The Big Three and the Japanese Challenge |first=Ross |last=Perry |publisher=Canadian Institute for Economic Policy |year=1982 |isbn=9780888626103 |accessdate=7 January 2016}} Renault's strategic business plan was to limit production of AMCs to Kenosha and Jeeps to Toledo as part of efforts to gain economies of scale. Moreover, local production was no longer a prerequisite for duty-free access into the Canadian market as long as the car's Canadian-sourced parts content met a minimum ratio to the total value of its sales in Canada.

Discussions to possibly utilize the assembly plant's capacity with Nissan ended in 1986, while at the time, AMC's president, Jose Dedeurwaerder, a former Renault executive, made an "ominous" statement that the automaker was openly looking for a partner.{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=r9j7MWLE_jMC&dq=Renault's+talks+with+Nissan+to+use+AMC's+Brampton,+Ontario,+plant+collapsed+at&pg=PA311 |page=311 |title=The Cars of American Motors: An Illustrated History |first=Marc |last=Cranswick |publisher=McFarland |year=2011 |isbn=9780786485703 |accessdate=7 January 2016}}

In 1987, with the Chrysler buyout, the AMC division and its plants (Brampton and Bramalea) were absorbed into Chrysler, becoming part of Chrysler Canada Limited. At the time of Chrysler's purchase, the combined full production capacity of the four AMC assembly plants (Brampton, Kenosha, Toledo, and the brand-new Bramalea Assembly in Brampton) had a combined annual total production capacity of around 700,000 vehicles.{{cite news|last=Risen |first=James |title=Chrysler Plans to Buy AMC for $757 Million: Reaches Accord on Purchasing Renault's 46.1% Interest; Wants Jeep, Assembly Plants, Dealers |url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-03-10-mn-5919-story.html |newspaper=The Los Angeles Times |date=10 March 1987 |access-date=28 March 2018}} This meant overcapacity for Chrysler, and AMC's old Kenosha and Toledo factories were at the top of Chrysler's closure list.{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=tLnoqM6FfuQC&dq=1990+Toledo+employees+pitted+against+assembly+plant+Brampton&pg=PA102 |page=102 |first1=Nicholas A. |last1=Phelps |first2=Philip |last2=Raines |title=The New Competition for Inward Investment: Companies, Institutions and Territorial Development |publisher=Edward Elgar Publishing |year=2003 |isbn=9781781956984 |accessdate=7 January 2016}} The workers in Toledo agreed to concessions to keep the factory open, but by 1990, they were pitted against Brampton Assembly and additional concessions by the Toledo employees were crucial to Chrysler's decision to close Brampton. The old Brampton factory had been building the Jeep Wrangler, which in 1992 was moved to Toledo and the Brampton plant closed.{{cite web|url= https://www.allpar.com/threads/amc-chrysler-plants-in-brampton-ontario.229388/ |title=Brampton, Ontario Chrysler plants |work=Allpar |date=16 November 2020 |accessdate=19 January 2024}}

With this transfer and closure, AMC's new Bramalea Assembly plant (that was built in 1986) was renamed the Brampton Assembly and began producing the new large Chrysler LH platform models (Chrysler Concorde, Dodge Intrepid, and Eagle Vision). These were followed by the Chrysler LHS and New Yorker as well as the 1999 model year 300M.

The original AMC factory was closed on 4 April 1992 and sold to Wal-Mart for use as one of their Canadian warehouses. The remains of the plant's west buildings were torn down in 2005, and the land was redeveloped for commercial/retail use. Among the buildings on the site is a Lowe's home improvement store that opened on 10 December 2007, as one of the first three to be established by the retail chain in Canada.{{cite press release|url= http://www.newswire.ca/fr/story/27725/lowe-s-expands-internationally-opens-first-canadian-stores |title=Lowe's expands internationally, opens first Canadian stores |agency=Groupe CNW |date=10 December 2007 |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20141107010125/http://www.newswire.ca/fr/story/27725/lowe-s-expands-internationally-opens-first-canadian-stores |archivedate=7 November 2014 |accessdate=7 January 2015}} The old factory's east building was demolished in 2007, and a Walmart Supercentre now occupies the site along with a warehouse.{{fact|date=August 2022}}

Rambler Drive, a street to the west of the plant leading into the Peel Village neighborhood off Kennedy, serves as a reminder of AMC's former presence in the area.{{cite web|title=Rambler Drive, Brampton, ON, Canada |url= https://www.google.com/maps/place/Rambler+Dr,+Brampton,+ON,+Canada/@43.678848,-79.7299608 |website=Google Maps |accessdate=28 March 2018}}

American Motors' original Brampton production and products for model years (MY) from 1961 through 1992:{{cite web|url= http://www.oocities.org/dr_rambler/Brampton.html |title=Brampton production figures according to Plant Tour Brochure |author=Dr. Rambler |work=Geocities |date=October 2009 |accessdate=7 January 2016}}

File:1979 Jeep CJ7 Renegade made by AMC Canada Limited at 2015 Macungie show 3of3.jpg

: * Note: the final AMC branded car (not Jeep), a 1988 AMC Eagle, was built on 11 December 1987, and shipped from Brampton on 15 December to a dealer in the U.S.{{cite web|url= http://southernclassic.tripod.com/id3.html |title=The Last AMC Built (from American Motoring, Newsletter of the American Motors Owners Association, Vol. 12, No. 4, September 1988 |first=Alan |last=Strang |work=southern classic |accessdate=7 January 2016}}

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Category:Motor vehicle assembly plants in Canada