Inspired by the excellent Los Angeles and Vintage Shots from Days Gone By threads I thought it would be appropriate to have a similar thread about the Detroit area. It is an amazing city with an incredible heritage that shouldn't be forgotten. From a European viewpoint and as a person who not only breaths Chryslers but American cars in general it seems that the sad state of Detroit (much of which has nothing to do with the auto industry) has made many to forget or realize the huge proportions and rich architectural history of the industry that even saved the western way of life not so long ago. I have planned to visit Wooodward Dream Cruise for years and to take a look at as much as possible of the remaining old buildings related to the auto industry and also historical buildings in general not to mention the old dealerships/garages/speed shops/diners even if there wouldn't be much left. Here is a huge thread about the old car factories, everybody should take a look at this to realize how big this industry used to be in the area. It also has excellent book references etc; http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/6790/39227.html?1155003502 Continue here; http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/6790/78791.html Another thread about car dealerships in Detroit; http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/6790/77971.html?1230935273 Here's a couple of great photos of the dyno building (building 135) at the sadly erased (it was abandoned soon after "Iacocca's Mausoleum" in Auburn Hills was completed) Chrysler Center in Highland Park. The famed dyno cell 13 was located in this building, it was the home of the Hemi testing. What wouldn't I give to witness a 426 scream at full throttle and then after a loud bang see a rod fly out the window into the parking lot... Map of the complex as well as aerial shots, there is not much left, just building 101? Still, this is a place I have to see...; http://www.turbinecar.com/images/highlandpark/map.htm Please keep pics and stories coming!
I worked at AAA Michigan and we would handle the insurance claims on Chrysler lease vehicles (employee) in the early 1990's. I think we were in building 401. It was a building dedicated to packaging (shipping parts) as well as a driveability garage. It was a very interesting facility. Had a couple lunches in the company cafateria with a friend of mine that worked with the alternators. Walking thru the buildings you could see some of the design work going on. Not the cars necessarily, but things like dash boards, gauges, etc.
Yes, seeing that thing live made my eyes water...I can't even comprehend everything cool that has surrounded it over the years. Unfortunately I did not have much time during that 1-day visit to Detroit, just the Chrysler Museum and a quick drive through Woodward Avenue...had to pick up a 1960 Fury in Wisconsin.
Damn, you were at Woodward AND in Wisconsin and ya didt stop by for a beer! I drive to Woodward every year and stay the whole week. It still doesnt seem like enough time. Fantastic, but makes my heart ache at the same time when you see some of the abandon buildings. Alot to see and do, plus I always have to hit the Onion Roll Deli and the Chicken Shack on Woodward.
Thanks for the memories Swifster, I envy you even if it was in such recent times...anyone remember the old driveaway programs for dealers or even the possibility for a customer to pick up his/hers car directly at the factory? Here's a few shots of the great 1958 DeSoto Driveaway in which most of the US DeSoto dealers participated; And a pic of the deserted Driveaway Garage at Dodge Main in Hamtramck before the complex was demolished
Sorry about that, lol. It was quite a few years ago. Maybe I'll see you listening to that "Ford music" in August? (see end of video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnCKf-SZBE4
Most people that are into old cars are probably aware of the sad state the once so grand Packard factory is but there are seldom any pics from its heyday, here's a few. 1935 Packard 120:s awaiting shipping at the factory 1946-47 Packard semi-assembly kit being crated, this is how cars were often delivered to export markets back then; 1948 Packard bodies going up to the second floor; Packard convertibles at the end of the assembly line; 1951-54 Packard body drop; 1953 Packards at the end of the assembly line; 1954 Packards in the factory showroom; 1955 Packards at the Conner Avenue assembly plant where production was moved to save costs. It is doubtful that it saved anything but it did give additional problems to a car company already in trouble. Here is an interesting look into the last years of Packard; http://ateupwithmotor.com/luxury-and-personal-luxury-cars/243-packard-fifties-history.html?start=1 1956 Packards at Conner Avenue; Packard offices at the old Packard plant in 1956, the second story bridge over East Grand Avenue is just a bit right of the photo; Here is a good link to get an overview of the different operations in this huge complex; http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthread.php?8649-Packard-Plant-Assembly-Line-Question And some of the sad pictures a few years ago, these are among the best on the net. Unfortunately the complex is going downhill faster and faster all the time. I sure hope at least some of it will be saved. http://onlyndetroit.com/html/decay/ond-0012motorcityunderworld.htm
The exterior portion of the entrance to the building pictured above has been rescued and is now located at the Packard Proving Grounds in Shelby Township. I saw the pieces there at last Fall's open house. Next open house is May 1st. I'll be there! I really enjoy the events that they have there.
This has all the marks of a great thread. Here is a factory supercharged custom parked at one of the Packard proving grounds buildings. Unfortunately, I do not have a reference for the photo. The car and the building still exists. Vintageride
Good to hear about the entrance being saved. Love the factory custom, remember looking at photos of it quite some time ago. The Packard Proving Grounds must have been a very impressive place back in the day and it seems like a very pleasant place to visit even today. Only 14 acres of the original 560 is left though. Here's a few pictures (I think this is still very relevant to Detroit even if it is a bit outside); Testing in 1949; The 560 acre site in 1951; Another look from late 50:s? The engine and transmission plant can be seen in front of the track, the site that remains today can be seen up in the middle; Packard test car in 1955; For sale ad where the engine/transmission plant can be seen, this was later a Curtiss-Wright jet engine plant and sold to Ford in 1961; What remains today, the Chrysler building was used for servicing tanks when Chrysler tested here during WWII; More info here; http://www.packardmotorfdn.org/
I love Detroit. I was born in Dearborn & lived in Michigan till I was 15. All my relatives still live in Detroit & whenever I go back to visit you can feel the rich automotive history in the air. It gives me friggin goosebumps. I think its still a very magical place & still means so much.
Good to hear that! I feel the same even if I have lived my whole life on the other side of the planet and visited Detroit only for one day.
I worked for Chrysler starting in the 70's and retired in 2008. I ran many of those old dyno's just like # 13, hell I probably ran that one too at some point. Those old dyno's were a real trip to run. Some of the controll panels were from the old Maxwell car co. When we left Highland Park for Auburn hills in the 90's most of those dyno's hit the scrapper. Everything in Auburn hills complex are state of the art and best in class at that time. Blew up many engines on those old dyno's. That pix sure brings back some good memories. Thanks for the post,
No, thank you Sir for responding! Would you happen to have any photos from those days? Were there any people at the time trying to rescue anything from Highland Park besides what was saved for the WPC Museum? I have planned to visit the site and maybe pick up a piece of concrete or something from the ground as a big chunk of the property seems still to be empty... Here's an interesting discussion about the move, I have heard that many people inside Chrysler didn't approve Iacocca's big investment on the new tech center/eadquarters, what were the spirits back then? Auburn Hills was as high tech as it got back then I am sure. http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showth...ryler-Move-from-Highland-Park-to-Auburn-Hills
I mentioned in the Packard Proving Ground post that Chrysler built a service facility on the grounds when it used it for tank testing. The Detroit Tank Arsenal in Warren where Chrysler produced the tanks is still there although it as been altered. Here's some photos and history according to globalsecurity.org; "This tank arsenal was the first ever built for mass production of American tanks. When World War II erupted in Europe, and Germany began using tanks in its Blitzkrieg offensives, the United States did not have a tank production program. By mid-1940, the U.S. realized it needed an armored force separate from its infantry. In response to this need, the Detroit Tank Arsenal Plant sprang up seemingly overnight in the winter of 1940-1941, on 113 acres of farm land located north of downtown Detroit, in what is now the city of Warren. The mammoth structure measured five city blocks deep and two blocks wide, designed by master industrial architect, Albert Kahn, in the Moderne style." "Owned by the government and run by Chrysler, the plant received its first contract to build 1,000 M3 tanks in 1940. The government accepted the first M3 on April 24, 1941, while the plant was still under construction. The delivery was marked by a festive occasion, broadcast over a nationwide radio hook-up. VIPs and plant workers cheered as the tank fired its guns, smashed telephone poles, and destroyed a mock-up house. The plant also built M4 Sherman tanks, which have a turret mounted 75-mm gun. The plant set an all-time monthly production record by delivering 896 M4s in December 1942. As the war ended, the government suspended tank production. During World War II, the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant built a quarter of the 89,568 tanks produced in the U.S. overall." Albert Kahn sure was busy back then, it is amazing how much his agency was involved in. http://buildingsofdetroit.com/architects/kahn
Here's a link to another site that has pics of Detroit. Several pictures of the Fisher Body Plant 21. http://www.forgottendetroit.com/index.html
Yes, that is an excellent link, thanks for posting! OK, back to the automobile industry via a WW2 connection. Ford Motor Company built a huge factory on a Ford owned farm in Ypsilanti, Michigan for mass production of the B-24 Liberator bomber. At its peak the factory turned out 650 B-24:s per month (!) and it is unbelievable that just a little bit earlier it was nicknamed "Will It Run?" due to early production problems. Here's a few thoughts; "Despite numerous setbacks, including labor unrest, the first B-24 rolled off the assembly line on October 1, 1942. However, by the end of December, the plant had assembled only 56 planes. Henry Ford and his son, Edsel, received national criticism and ridicule when Willow Run was nicknamed "Will it Run?" Ford's chief engineer, Charles Sorensen--the architect of the Model T moving assembly line in 1913--quickly devised a scheme of mass-producing planes using the same techniques employed in the auto industry. The concept worked, and by early 1944, bombers were coming off the mile-long assembly line at the rate of one an hour. The huge plant ran two 9-hour shifts a day and employed 42,000 people. Because of the wartime shortage of men, most of the assemblers were women. Each B-24 required 313,237 rivets, so there was plenty of work for "Rosie the Riveter" and her peers. The Willow Run assembly line also employed 10 "midgets" who were recruited from circus sideshows and the entertainment industry. They proved invaluable for confined space assembly tasks, such as crawling inside wingtips to buck rivets." More here; http://www.assemblymag.com/CDA/Articles/Web_Exclusive/c7dfeddacb5c9010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____ And fascinating details of Sorensens outstanding work; http://www.strategosinc.com/willow_run.htm A video about Willow Run; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_CUPA0k0fw Overview of the site; Factory workers in 1944; B-24:s being assembled; This photo is way too fantastic to downsize for posting here, check out the link with the fantastic details and interesting comments; http://www.shorpy.com/node/4213?size=_original After the war Ford didn't want the plant and Kaiser-Frazer moved in. The company story is remarkable in itself. It is amazing what these two men accomplished in a few short years. The company was ahead the big three as they had completely new models instead of facelifted prewar ones. Here's a fantastic photo page of Kaiser-Frazer; http://oldcarandtruckpictures.com/Kaiser/ Willow Run assembly line; Henry J Kaiser and Joseph Frazer; The excitement at the dealership was a bit higher than today; Kaiser-Frazer stopped production at Willow Run in 1953. GM took over the plant as their transmission plant had burned down...production was on just after 9 weeks. GM also expanded the Willow Run complex and built 56-58 Chevy trucks there as well as Corvairs, Novas and Caprices. What was completely new to me is that the Hydramatic Division also made M-16 rifles during the Vietnam war at Willow Run. The facility was sadly closed during the recent restructuring of GM... Corvair assembly at Willow Run; Here is a video showing the structure both in and out during its last days of operation; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbKKAJCtfqQ And thoughts of a woman who worked there during WW2; http://www.annarbor.com/business-re...n-willow-run-bomber-plant-to-help-war-effort/ The sad afterthought; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTKHPLgAiWY OK, let's see some more old pics! Anyone?
ImFordwordlook I'm sorry to say,no I have no photos from back at Highland Pk. As for people not wanting the move, you are always going to have people who don"t want change. As for me, from a mechanic's point of view, someone who worked in the R&D labs, I welcomed it and could hardly wait for the move. The concept of all under one roof proved to be the best idea. That Auburn Hills complex is the most awesome place. For the most part most people were extremily excited to be there. New labs, new equiptment and a renewed sence of pride in the company. Chrysler needed that new complex to move forward in the industry and gain respect from our customers and competitors. All the Labs are on the first floor and the engineering offices are up from there. If you want more on Chrysler history from a product standpoint you should become a member of the Walter P. Chrysler museum from their web site. They used to sell bricks from the old complex at Highland Pk. as a fund raiser for the musem. If you come here for a visit I'd be glad to show you around, but make sure you come when the Woodward cruise is going on.
I am sure the great amount of separate buildings especially before internet connection was a huge burden not to mention going back and forth in the Michigan winters...I do remember the huge press coverage and positive spirits when Auburn Hills was opened. I guess I'm just one of those old guys trying to hold on to the past, it doesn't only apply to cars...I do like the new Challenger but it is not the same anymore. Besides, those are over $100K here so I could never afford one... Didn't know about the WPC Museum brick project (maybe my poor memory is playing tricks but something like that shouldn't be forgotten), have to look if they still have them. I do remember that the DeSoto Club was selling bricks of the DeSoto factory a number of years ago. Thanks for the offer, if I (can afford to) come I will surely come during the cruise!
OK, here's a few shots of the Detroit Dragway that was going to be refurbished in the 90:s but unfortunately local opposition killed the track forever. From http://dearbornflashback.com/detroitdragway.asp ; The "Dirty D", as Detroit Dragway was affectionately known, was opened in 1959 by Gil Kohn. Over the years, different sanctioning bodies came and went, including the NHRA, AHRA, and Kohns own UHRA. Detroits auto factories ran their muscle cars here and the track hosted all of the big-name racers. Garlits, Muldowney, Prudhomme, Kalitta, Nicholson, and on and on. But, Detroit was also home for many Motor City racers for nearly 40 years. And, thousands of spectators who spent their Saturday evenings enjoying the roar of the quarter-mile warriors, the smell of nitro and the bright glow of Funny Cars under the night sky. U.S. NATIONALS....It's amazing to think Detroit, the "Motor City", home to the Big-3 Automakers, doesn't have an NHRA National Event. It doesn't even have a dragstrip anymore, since Detroit Dragway was demolished a few years ago. Detroit did host the NHRA for a short time, many moons ago. In 1959 and 1960, when the NHRA only had one national event, the "U.S. Nationals" were held at Detroit. The U.S. Nationals moved in 1961, when the brand new Indianapolis Raceway Park opened, and Detroit forever lost it's time in the drag racing spotlight. THE END....A 1994 plan by the NHRA to rebuild the track, and bring in a national event was by killed by local opponents, sealing Detroits fate. Detroit slowly died, and finally closed in 1998. The closure forcing racers to travel to Milan or further, or back onto the streets. Following the demolition, Detroit-area industrial real estate builder Ashley Capital, built their Brownstown Business Center warehouse complex on the grave of Detroit Dragway. How ironic is it that one of the first tenants to lease warehouse space there was none other than Ford Motor Company. <center> RIP Detroit Dragway. </center> Go to the excellent site www.waterwinterwonderland.com for more pics and info!
MHRA drags on amrhein rd in livonia http://thehotrodsofdearborn.com/1953Drags.html# http://www.motorcities.org/Story/Michigan+Drag+Racing-184.html the chevy chrome plant was demolished 10 yrs ago but amrhein rd is still there in all of it's glory.
Absolutely stunning photos from Detroit Dragway in this link, have to buy a few of those! http://www.joestevensphotos.com/Det...ARS-dragsters/13840008_qPJyj#1121132276_kBL8V
Excellent photography of the Detroit war effort during WW2; http://multimedia.detnews.com/pix/photogalleries/historygallery/wwIIdetroit/index.html
OK, had to bring this thread back up. I am back from my 4 week trip of which one week was spent in the Motor City. Fantastic, I'm totally addicted to Detroit! I took 5000 photos of which about 500 are posted on Moparts as they are not all HAMB friendly. There's a lot of stuff from Detroit including; The Packard plant Packard Proving Grounds Packard meet Chrysler Headquarter site in Highland Park Various Chrysler plants and dealerships Warren Truck Plant aka Dodge City tour Ford T-plex and Highland Park plant The Detroit Historical Museum Some Detroit architecture Woodward Dream Cruise Other stuff includes; Miller Motors, the last Hudson dealership in Ypsilanti, MI The National Studebaker Museum National Auto and Truck Museum Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum The Mopar Nationals US Nationals, lots of HAMB friendly cars Grand-Spaulding Dodge dealership in Chicago And a lot of things I forgot. This is me outside the Chrysler built facility for their tank testing during WW2 at the Packard Proving Grounds. On the hood is a piece of the Packard Assembly Line floor Read more here; http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=Test&Number=6918309&page=3&fpart=1 Picture requests are welcome, this is only 10% of what I took so there is a lot more available.
The Jalopy Journal
