Lordstown Builds 300,000th Cruze

The General Motors Co. Lordstown Complex passed another milestone Thursday when the 300,000th Chevrolet Cruze rolled off the assembly line since production began in mid-July 2010 - and workers will work more overtime to keep up with demand.

The crystal claret - or deep reddish - car, which is headed for a Fort Worth, Tex., Chevrolet dealership, was built early Thursday morning on the third shift, complex spokesman Tom Mock said. "That's quite an accomplishment," he said of the production total.
He added production "is really accelerating." Three ovetime shifts are scheduled for Oct. 22, subject to change, he said.

The plant aims to build about 1,200 cars over three shifts each day.
Even with strong production, workers aim for high quality, a union leader said.
"Three hundred thousand is a large number, but our members know quality comes before quantity. Whether it's 300,000 or one million, we want to make sure they're done right," said Dave Green, president of United Auto Workers Local 1714 of the Lordstown West Metal Center.

Jim Graham, president of Local 1112 at the Lordstown East assembly plant, said the plant reached the 300,000 mark quickly because of three shifts, which were not always in effect when workers were building previous cars such as the Cobalt and Cavalier.

The Cruze, which has seen its field supply fall to 33 days at the current sales rate - about half of the 60 considered ideal - posted five straight months of 20,000 sales in the spring and summer.
It hit a high of 24,896 sales in June as rising gasoline prices made consumers more fuel-conscious. The car's highway miles per gallon is rated at 35 for the base LS automatic transmission to 42 for the manual transmission Eco model.

The complex, which employs about 4,500 hourly and salaried workers, has stepped up production, reaching 28,911 cars in August and 27,284 in September.

Jeff Gordon Chevrolet has over 100 Chevrolet Cruze available and special arrangements have been made for customers to color & option available Chevrolet Cruze currently in production.

Don't miss the opportunity to color and option your very own 2012 Chevy Cruze.

Your vehicle will come straight from the Lordstown, Ohio factory to the showroom of our 15 acre Award Winning Chevrolet Dealership in Wilmington North Carolina.

Go to http://www.jeffgordonchevy.com/ and color and option a 2012 Chevy Cruze to your exact specifications.

Jeff Gordon Chevrolet is a proud member of the Hendrick Automotive Group. GM Dealer of the Year and GM Certified Used Vehicle Sales Leader for 9 consecutive years, you can rest assured we'll be there for you long after the sale.

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The Cruze Is Hitting On All Cylinders As March Cruze Sales Exceed 18,000

Cruze sales totaled 18,018 in March and General Motors said Chevy Cruze sales exceeded 50,000 during the first quarter of 2011.

Fueled by over 18,000 vehicles shipped to dealers last month, the Lordstown, Ohio -built upscale compact vehicle surged to the top of the GM car chart in the first quarter of the year at 50,205, the automaker said Friday

The total paled next to the 92,445 sales posted by Chevy's Silverado 1500 pickup truck, but it returned the Lordstown Ohio Complex to its glory days of producing GM's top-selling car after years of trailing the fullsize Chevrolet Impala and midsize Chevrolet Malibu.

The Impala was a close second in sales for the quarter at 49,541, while the Malibu was third at 48,745, but the Cruze is expected to be Chevy's top seller by year's end, Don Johnson, GM's vice president of U.S. sales, said on a conference call.

About half of Cruze sales in March were "conquest" sales - luring buyers from competing models, such as perennial segment leaders Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, GM said. "The Cruze is helping us keep customers and bring in new ones," Johnson said.

The Cruze also sold better than the Cobalt in California and other states where GM normally finds it hard to win small-car buyers, Chevrolet Vice President of Sales and Service Alan Batey said.

In addition, Cruze sales came at an average transaction price close to $19,000, which was $2,000 above the Civic and $3,000 above the Corolla, Batey said. "That tells you customers are putting more options in the vehicle," Johnson said.

Johnson credited the Cruze for helping GM double its share to 11.4 percent from 5.7 percent of the compact car market, which he called the fastest-growing segment. "With oil hovering around $105 (a barrel,) we see a bit of a shift to compact cars," he said, adding the higher oil price isn't causing customers to delay purchases. "We think the economy will stay on its current course of slow, steady recovery."

The Lordstown Ohio Complex, which launched the Cruze Sept. 8 as GM's brightest hope hit a new production high for the car of 26,353 units. It built 22,618 in February and 22,314 in January.

Jeff Gordon Chevrolet recently placed an order for 100 Chevrolet Cruze and special arrangements have been made for customers to color & option available Chevrolet Cruze currently in production.

Don't miss the opportunity to color and option your very own 2011 Chevy Cruze.

Your vehicle will come straight from the Lordstown, Ohio factory to the showroom of our 15 acre Award Winning Chevrolet Dealership in Wilmington North Carolina.

Go to http://www.jeffgordonchevy.com/ and color and option a 2011 Chevy Cruze to your exact specifications.

Contact Jason Nicholas to schedule your Test Drive 910-798-2722 or jason.nicholas@hendrickauto.com

Don't live near Jeff Gordon Chevrolet?

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The American Made Car You've Always Wanted Has Arrived
The 42 mpg Chevy Cruze

The Chevy Cruze is a World Class American Made car you can be proud to own. When you buy American, you help to keep our economy strong, and you show your support for American workers. The Cruze is already Chevrolet’s top-selling car worldwide.

The most obvious reason to buy American made products is quite simply to keep American's working, when you buy products made in the USA it helps keep American workers employed, it helps American businesses stay in business, and helps the economy. Every U.S. and Canadian version of the Cruze is built in Lordstown, Ohio.

Chevrolet invested $350 million in this location to assure this American car would be produced right here at home.

ENGINE BLOCKS Made in Defiance, Ohio

The Cruze is powered by 1.4L and 1.8L turbo Ecotec engines, part of a new generation of highly-efficient, small-displacement, four-cylinder engines. General Motors invested $59 million in the Defiance Foundry to retool the facilities and equipment for the production of these engines. The plant now employs 1,346 workers. The Ecotec engines are built on a strong, low-mass foundation that supports high fuel efficiency. The cylinder blocks are made of gray cast-iron with five reinforced main bearings. To minimize weight, the block has a hollow-frame construction that makes it about 20 percent lighter than conventional casting. The block also incorporates a gray cast-iron bedplate that reduces engine vibration. The cylinders in the block are triple-honed to minimize friction and wear and optimize oil and fuel consumption.

SIX-SPEED TRANSMISSIONS Made in Toledo, Ohio

General Motors has invested $350 million in new equipment for its Toledo Powertrain Center to manufacture six-speed front-wheel-drive transmissions that go in both the Cruze and the Malibu. Both the automatic and manual six-speed transmission available in the Cruze are to improve the car’s fuel-economy and engine performance. The six-speed automatic transmission — standard in the Cruze LT and LTZ models — is designed to bolster engine power. The automatic transmission has an on- axis design — the gear sets are on the same axis as the engine centerline — that enhances the car’s interior space and gives it a lower hood line. The six-speed manual transmission — standard in the Cruze LS and the Cruze Eco — delivers a wide set of gear ratios. The manual transmission includes triple-cone synchronization in first and second gears for easier engagement, and a synchronized reverse gear.

STAMP METAL PRODUCTS, Made in Parma, Ohio

GM’s Parma Metal Center is stamping 49 different parts for the Cruze, including many of the car’s critical structural components. In the past year, the company has spent $60 million on new equipment and machine upgrades at the plant, including the installment of new robotic welding lines. The plant, which employs about 1,450 workers, now uses five high-speed progressive systems and 13 transfer presses to produce many of the smaller parts used in GM cars. The plant is on target to produce 58.9 million parts this year, up from about 28 million produced in 2009.

ALLOY WHEELS, Made in Cleveland, Ohio

Alcoa Automotive Wheel, a division of Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products, will provide the aluminum alloy wheels that will be standard on the Cruze Eco model that will be released in the fourth quarter. Production of wheels will take place at the company’s Cleveland Works facility that employs about 1,000 people. Alloy wheels are lighter than cast aluminum wheels, which helps reduce fuel consumption. The Cruze Eco model will come equipped with light-weight 17-inch forged aluminum wheels. The wheels are said to weigh less than 18 pounds, about 20 percent less than comparable cast aluminum wheels. The wheels are designed to help the Eco achieve an average 40 miles to the gallon. Alcoa says that the reduction in the car’s unsprung weight also will improve the Cruze’s handling and overall performance. The wheels will also be available on the Cruze 2LT and LTZ models.

SEATING, Made in Lordstown, Ohio

Magna International’s Lordstown Seating, the company that supplied seating systems for the Chevy Cobalt, is supplying the seats for the Cruze. Magna is among 18 tier-one suppliers in Ohio that are supplying parts for the Cruze. Other local suppliers include Comprehensive Logistics and Jamestown Industries in Youngstown and Falcon Transport in Austintown. The seating systems are part of an interior refinement strategy that aims to set the Cruze apart from other cars in the compact segment. Standard six-way power driver’s seats, leather seating surfaces and heated seats are included in the Cruze 2LT and LTZ models.

Jeff Gordon Chevrolet recently placed an order for 100 Chevrolet Cruze and special arrangements have been made for customers to color & option available Chevrolet Cruze currently in production.

Don't miss the opportunity to color and option your very own 2011 Chevy Cruze.

Your vehicle will come straight from the Lordstown, Ohio factory to the showroom of our 15 acre Award Winning Chevrolet Dealership in Wilmington North Carolina.

Go to http://www.jeffgordonchevy.com/ and color and option a 2011 Chevy Cruze to your exact specifications.

Jeff Gordon Chevrolet is a proud member of the Hendrick Automotive Group. GM Dealer of the Year and GM Certified Used Vehicle Sales Leader for 9 consecutive years, you can rest assured we'll be there for you long after the sale.

Shop 500 GM Certified and up to 3,500 Hendrick Certified vehicles at http://www.jeffgordonchevy.com/

Don't live near Jeff Gordon Chevrolet?

No problem, our GM Certified Internet Sales Managers can arrange hassle free delivery right to your front door with our Exclusive Door-To-Door Delivery Program.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HB8xs8Z1pc&tracker=False