New Venture Gear#New Process Gear
{{Short description|American automobile company (1990–2012)}}
{{Infobox company
| name = New Venture Gear
| logo =
| type =
| industry = Vehicle Transmissions
| fate = Dissolved
| predecessor = {{unbulletedlist|
- New Process Rawhide Company
- Warner Gear Company}}
| successor = Magna Powertrain
| founded = {{Start date and age|1990}}
| founder = {{unbulleted list|
| defunct = {{End date|2012|08|20}}
| hq_location_city = Syracuse, New York
| hq_location_country = United States
| area_served =
| key_people =
| products =
| owner =
| num_employees =
| num_employees_year =
| parent = Magna Powertrain
| website =
}}
New Venture Gear was an automobile and light truck transmission company that was started in 1990 as the first-ever joint venture between any of the Big Three U.S. automakers. General Motors and Chrysler Corporation were the participants. Operation and management of Chrysler's New Process Gear plant in Syracuse, New York, and GM's underutilized Hydramatic transmission plant in Muncie, Indiana, were shifted to New Venture Gear Company.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/07/business/company-news-joint-venture-planned-by-gm-and-chrysler.html |title=COMPANY NEWS; Joint Venture Planned By G.M. and Chrysler - New York Times |work=The New York Times |date=1990-02-07 |access-date=2013-05-09}}
History
= Founding plant histories =
== Hydramatic Muncie ==
In 1902, Thomas W. Warner formed the Warner Gear Company in Muncie, Indiana, to manufacture automobile parts, steering, and transmission gears. In 1919, General Motors purchased the T. W. Warner Company, including its land and buildings. In 1920, GM reopened the plant under the name Muncie Products to manufacture transmissions and steering gear for their Oakland, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, and GMC Truck divisions. In 1932, GM closed the Muncie Products plant and consolidated operations to other divisions in response to the failing economy of the Great Depression.
The Chevrolet division reopened the plant in 1935 to build car and truck transmissions. World War II halted non-military vehicle production and the plant was converted to serve the needs of the U.S. military until the war ended. The 1950s and 1960s saw expansion and growth. In the 1970s and 1980s, GM swapped the plant to many different GM divisions, ending with Detroit Diesel Allison in 1984 and GM Hydramatic in 1986.{{cite web|url=http://www.bsu.edu/libraries/archives/findingaids/OVC042-047.pdf |title=Muncie Chevrolet Plant Architectural Drawings, 1918–1920 |website=Bsu.edu |access-date=2017-03-07}}
== New Process Gear ==
In 1888, Thomas W. Meachem founded the New Process Rawhide Company in Baldwinsville, New York. In the late 1890s, New Process Rawhide moved operations to Syracuse after a fire. In 1913, Thomas W. Meachem reorganized New Process Rawhide with one of his partners, Artemus Vosburgh. The company was renamed New Process Gear to reflect the new corporate direction. In 1954, after a succession of owners including Willys-Overland,{{cite web|title=MoparWiki|url=http://www.moparstyle.com/wiki/index.php?title=Walter_P._Chrysler|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120526001146/http://www.moparstyle.com/wiki/index.php?title=Walter_P._Chrysler|archive-date=May 26, 2012|access-date=2013-05-09|publisher=Moparstyle.com}} New Process Gear became a subsidiary of Chrysler Corporation.{{cite web|author=Central New York|title=Last day for 300 New Process Gear workers; here are three who've moved on|date=December 22, 2011 |url=http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/12/former_factory_workers_are_put.html|access-date=2013-05-09|publisher=syracuse.com}}
= New Venture Gear =
In 1990, the Hydramatic Muncie plant owned by GM and New Process Gear owned by Chrysler formed a joint GM–Chrysler venture called New Venture Gear.{{cite web|url=http://waw.wardsauto.com/ar/auto_allwheel_drive_revolution/|title=All-Wheel Drive Revolution? New Venture Gear leads a shift in AWD technology|work=Ward's AutoWorld|access-date=January 3, 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041226164818/http://waw.wardsauto.com/ar/auto_allwheel_drive_revolution/|archive-date=December 26, 2004|df=mdy-all}}
= GM exit =
In February 2002, General Motors sold its minority 36% stake in the New Venture Gear company to DaimlerChrysler and the Muncie Transmission plant reverted to GM control.{{cite web|url=http://waw.wardsauto.com/ar/auto_gm_drops_stake/|title=GM Drops Its Stake in New Venture Gear|work=Ward's AutoWorld|access-date=January 3, 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050120211511/http://waw.wardsauto.com/ar/auto_gm_drops_stake|archive-date=January 20, 2005|df=mdy-all}} GM changed the plant name to "Manual Transmissions of Muncie." The T.W. Warner Muncie plant closed in mid-2006 after a century of operation and the property was turned over to Delaware County Indiana. The GM Muncie Transmission plant was demolished soon after turnover to the county.{{cite web|date=2004-09-29|title=New Process Gear and New Venture Gear History|url=http://www.allpar.com/mopar/transmissions/NVG-history.html|access-date=2013-05-09|publisher=Allpar.com}} The Syracuse New Process remained with New Venture Gear.
In 2004, Magna International purchased 80% of New Venture Gear from DaimlerChrysler and put it under Magna Drivetrain.{{cite web|url=http://www.magnapowertrain.com/xchg/powertrain_systems/XSL/standard.xsl/-/content/40_354.htm|title=History of Magna International Inc.|work=Magna International|access-date=December 21, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101111021415/http://www.magnapowertrain.com/xchg/powertrain_systems/XSL/standard.xsl/-/content/40_354.htm|archive-date=November 11, 2010|df=mdy-all}} Magna purchased the remaining 20% interest in 2007.{{Cite web|date=September 29, 2004|title=Magna Completes Acquisition of New Venture Gear|url=http://www.newventuregear.com/documents/press29.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070401093430/http://www.newventuregear.com/documents/press29.pdf|archive-date=April 1, 2007|website=New Venture Gear}} The New Process gear plant remained property of DaimlerChrysler. Chrysler then leased the facilities to Magna.{{cite web|title=New Process Gear, Inc. | Company Profile from Hoover's|url=http://www.hoovers.com/company/New_Process_Gear_Inc/rfhfsji-1.html|access-date=2013-05-09|publisher=Hoovers.com}} This lease arrangement made it difficult to compete with the European manufacturing operation Magna directly purchased located in Roitzsch, Germany.{{cite web|date=2003-12-22|title=Magna Completes Purchase of New Venture Gear|url=http://www.geartechnology.com/news/57/Magna_Completes_Purchase_of_New_Venture_Gear/|access-date=2013-05-09|publisher=Geartechnology.com}} A downturn in Jeep demand combined with DaimlerChrysler not replacing the Dodge Neon sharply curtailed demand for the Syracuse New Process Gear plant production. In 2009, design and engineering services were moved to Troy, Michigan, and Magna International announced its intent to close the Syracuse plant.{{Cite web|last=Hannagan|first=Charley|date=February 5, 2009|title=New Process Gear plans exit strategy|url=http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/new_process_gear_plans_exit_st.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311143957/http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/new_process_gear_plans_exit_st.html|archive-date=March 11, 2009|website=syracuse.com}} The Syracuse New Process Gear plant had been planned for closure in November 2011, but was pushed back to the first quarter of 2012.{{cite web|author=Dennis Nett / The Post-Standard|title=New Process Gear in DeWitt plans to remain open into next year|date=November 10, 2011 |url=http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/11/new_process_gear_dewitt_plan_t.html|access-date=2013-05-09|publisher=syracuse.com}}
After 124 years in operation, on Thursday, August 24, 2012, New Process Gear ended production and closed their doors for the last time.{{cite web|author=Central New York|title=New Process Gear stops production this week after 124 years|url=http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2012/08/new_process_gear_closes_this_w.html|access-date=2013-05-09|website=Syracuse.com|date=August 20, 2012 }}{{cite web|last=Hannagan|first=Charley|date=2012-08-20|title=New Process Gear stops production this week after 124 years|url=http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2012/08/new_process_gear_closes_this_w.html|access-date=2017-06-06|website=syracuse.com The Post-Standard|publisher=Advance Media New York}}
Transmissions
Transfer cases
The Syracuse New Process Gear plant produced transfer cases for all of the "Big Three"—Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors. The NV247 all-wheel drive transfer case, sold by Chrysler's Jeep division as the "Quadra-Trac II," the manual transaxle for the Dodge Neon and PT Cruiser (T-350), and manual transaxles for European-export Chrysler minivans (T-650 and T-750) were the bulk of the plant's last years of production.
=Model nomenclature=
The model numbers of the transfer case consists of the manufacturer, the number of speeds/gears, the strength (1–7), and a number from 1–9 describing the type. The following table delineates the format:{{cite web|url=http://www.4x4now.com/bd0599.htm|title=SAE TopTec: Innovations in Four Wheel Drive/All Wheel Drive Systems|work=by Dr. Brad DeLong|access-date=December 21, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403104920/http://www.4x4now.com/bd0599.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date = April 3, 2013}}
| class="wikitable" |
| Manufacturer
! Number of speeds/gears ! Strength ! Type |
|---|
| NP = New Process Gear NV = New Venture Gear | 1 = One speed (high range) | 1 (low) to 7 (high) | 1 = Part-time 4WD |
=Models=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Model
! Full-Time High ! High Lock ! Low range ! 2WD ! Differential |
|---|
| 119
| Yes | No | No | No | Yes (Viscous) |
| 125
| Yes | No | No | No | Yes (Open) |
| 128
| Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes (Open) |
| 129
| Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes (Viscous) |
| 136
| | | | | |
| 147
| Yes | | No | No | No (GeroDisc) |
| 149
| Yes | No | No | No | Yes (Viscous) |
| 203
| Yes | Yes | 2.01:1 | No | Yes (Open) |
| 205
| No | Yes | 1.96:1 | Yes | No (Locked) |
| 207
| No | Yes | 2.61:1 | Yes | No (Locked) |
| 208
| No | Yes | 2.61:1 | Yes | No (Locked) |
| 219
| Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes (Viscous) |
| 228
| Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes (Open) |
| 229
| Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes (Viscous) |
| 231
| No | Yes | 2.72:1 | Yes | No (Locked) |
| 233
| No | Yes | 2.72:1 | Yes | |
| 236{{cite web|url=https://cobratransmission.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=3_2097|title=NP236 Transfer Case|author=|publisher=Midwest Transmission Zumbrota MN|date=2010|access-date=2017-06-06}}
| Yes | Yes | 2.72:1 | Yes | |
| 241
| No | Yes | 2.72:1 | Yes | No (Locked) |
| 241OR
| No | Yes | 4.0:1 | Yes | No (Locked) |
| 242
| Yes | Yes | 2.72:1 | Yes | Yes (Open) |
| 243
| Yes | No | | Yes | |
| 244
| Yes | Yes | 2.72:1 | No | Yes (Open) |
| 245
| Yes | No | 2.72:1 | No | Yes (Clutch) |
| 246
| Yes | Yes | 2.72:1 | Yes | |
| 247
| Yes | No | 2.72:1 | No | No (GeroDisc) |
| 249
| Yes | No (Pre 96), Yes (96+) | 2.72:1 | No | Yes (Viscous) |
| 261
| No | Yes | 2.72:1 | Yes | No (Locked) |
| 263
| No | Yes | 2.72:1 | Yes | |
| 271
| No | Yes | 2.72:1 | Yes | No (Locked) |
| 273
| No | Yes | 2.72:1 | Yes | No (Locked) |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20001109170000/http://www.nvg.com/ First archive of nvg.com (November 9, 2000)]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070328224026/http://www.nvg.com/ Last archive of nvg.com (March 28, 2007)]
{{New Venture Gear}}
{{Magna International}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2015}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2015}}
Category:Auto parts suppliers of the United States
Category:Automotive transmission makers
Category:General Motors transmissions