Re: One Story Assembly Plant What If?

Posted by Steve203 On 2014/5/16 16:54:20

<i>RE: Packard Plant being "surrounded by urban residential"...</i>

One thing I noticed in the film about Packard's war work, as the flim is highlighting the new construction for the Merlin program, they superimpose a plant in the middle of the Lutheran cemetary. That plant was in Toledo, at 1330 W Laskey. After the war, Packard did some jet engine work there, until the development program was terminated in 49. That plant, which was government owned, was vacant until Continental moved in in 55.

<i>And Willow Run wayyyyy the heck out out by Ypsilanti in those days to a Detroiter was considered a HUGE trip...</i>

The freeway to Willow Run was one of the first constructed in Michigan.

A section from the bomber plant east to Huron River Dr was built in 42. In 44, the "Detroit Indistrial Expressway" extended it to Southfield. In 45, the freeway was complete to Michigan Ave at the Dearborn/Detroit border.

By the time frame we are talking about, 53, the freeway had been extended to Grand River. In 54 it reached the Lodge. In 55 it was completed to Russell St and it reached Mt Elliott in 57. It reached Conner in 58.

Getting people and goods to Willow Run from downtown Detroit in the mid 50s was a snap compared to getting to/from what became the powertrain plant in Utica.

As for the economics of Willow Run vs Conner, even after the line at Conner had been debottlenecked, who knows, really. I have seen numbers that Packard figured they would save $3M by going into Conner, but it cost them an extra $3M instead.