1 millionth vehicle rolls off assembly line at Chrysler plant in Belvidere, Illinois

Chrysler Group LLC’s Belvidere (Ill.) Assembly Plant (BAP) passed a significant milestone on the morning of July 28 when the one millionth compact vehicle currently produced at the plant rolled off the assembly line.

The natural green Jeep Patriot, which will be delivered to B.Z. Motors Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge in Lewisburg, Pa., is one of three models produced at the plant. The other two models are the Dodge Caliber and Jeep Compass. Production of the family of vehicles began in 2005 with the Dodge Caliber.

“The Belvidere plant has been producing some of Chrysler’s most popular models for the past 45 years and the Jeep Patriot is just the latest model to add to the list,” said Kurt Kavajecz, BAP plant manager. “We are honored to be part of this significant milestone. The success of the Jeep Patriot, Jeep Compass and Dodge Caliber is a testament to the dedication of our workforce and their commitment to producing a high quality product.”

The 2010 Jeep Patriot that rolled off the line was equipped with a 2.4-liter engine, a five-speed manual transmission and premium features including satellite radio, power heated seats, keyless entry, speed control, leather wrapped steering wheel and aluminum wheels.

History of the Belvidere Assembly Plant
Belvidere Assembly Plant was constructed in 1964-1965. The first car was produced on July 7, 1965. The product line from 1965 to 1977 included the Plymouth and Dodge two-door, four-door models and station wagons, and the Chrysler Town & Country station wagon.

In 1977, the plant was converted to front-wheel-drive production. From 1978-1987, the product lines included Plymouth Horizon and Dodge Omni.

In 1987, the plant underwent a $367 million state-of-the-art, 16-week model changeover to produce the Chrysler New Yorker and Dodge Dynasty, the company's full-size front-wheel drive four-door sedans. Two years later, the plant underwent a $72 million model changeover for production of 1990 models that included the Chrysler Imperial and New Yorker Salon.

In 1994, the plant was converted to produce the Plymouth and Dodge Neon. Production of the Neon ended in September 2005. The Dodge Caliber was launched in December 2005, followed by the Jeep Compass in May 2006 and Jeep Patriot in December 2006.