AMC was once one of America's most successful automakers, but its facilities are now finding a new purpose.
General Motors (GM) will reportedly be transforming the abandoned American Motors Corporation (AMC) headquarters in Detroit as its new electric vehicle (EV) parts storage facility. Crain's Detroit Business (CDB) reports that GM is set to open the EV parts warehouse in the second quarter of 2024.
The new facility, which a third-party contractor will operate, will reportedly “support the production of electric vehicles including the GMC Hummer EV, Chevrolet Silverado EV, and Cruise Origin. A GM spokesperson added that the reborn AMC (HQ) is keen to optimize the “delivery, storage, and processing of parts and products” for GM's EV model lineup.
The 56-acre site of the dormant AMC HQ will have a 793,520-square-foot storage facility supporting GM's Factory Zero.
This new development confirms GM's intention, which surfaced in September 2022. During that time, GM spokeswoman Maria Raynal told CDB that the car company intends to lease the 760,000-square-foot AMC facility to aid GM's “EV manufacturing at Factory Zero.”
GM's Factory Zero, formerly the General Motors Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center, manufactures the Hummer EV. GM plans to add the electric Silverado and Sierra to the vehicles manufactured at Factory Zero, which will begin production in 2024. As such, acquiring the old AMC HQ further boosts GM's multi-billion dollar investment in its home state of Michigan.
The abandoned AMC HQ was originally built in 1926 for Kelvinator appliances before merging with Nash Motors. Then, Nash-Kelvinator teamed up with Hudson Motors in 1954 to officially form the AMC. Chrysler bought AMC in 1987 and used the facility until 1995. After which, Dodge and Jeep used the facility as an engineering center until 2009.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan expressed his intention to demolish the abandoned AMC HQ last January 2022 to “erase the ruin porn” of the city as well as to generate more jobs for the city.
Mayor Duggan added that the old AMC HQ was a “source of embarrassment” and said that a new manufacturing facility could provide employment for up to 400 people in its place.
The new facility, despite sharing a location with the old facility, will change that. While it's a pity AMC's heritage won't stay standing, at least the site will continue to support the auto industry, which is at the very heart of Detroit.
Keyword: General Motors Gives Old AMC HQ A New Lease On Life