DETROIT - First, the General Motors Corp. Lordstown Complex will launch the Chevrolet Cruze. After that, the plant will be geared to build as many as seven models on two different architectures, the automaker's president of global manufacturing said Sunday.
The key, said Gary Cowger, is the 4.0 flex body shop that GM plans to invest $351 million to build at Lordstown.
Cowger, who was plant manager at Lordstown in the late 1980s, was speaking at the North American International Auto Show at Cobo Hall in downtown Detroit.
"It gives us the flexibility in the future as these markets are changing dramatically to allow the ultimate flexibility to make sure we can move the right product into the right market anywhere globally," he said, speaking before the North America debut of the Lordstown Complex's next product, the upscale Cruze small car.
"You'll be seeing that flexibility in all of our plants around the world ... " he said.
Cowger said the term 4.0 comes from computer lingo that attaches a number to each upgrade. GM started with 3.0 at its Lansing Delta Township plant before going to the 3.5 and now 4.0. He said the 4.0 has been installed at the Saturn plant in Spring Hill, Tenn., for the Traverse launch and Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, for the Chevrolet Camaro.
Other vehicles that have come off flexible assembly operations in the past include crossover vehicles - small sport utility vehicles that are built on car platforms instead of trucks - and small light trucks, something Japan's Honda is known for doing.
"We believe it's probably one of the leanest, most flexible body shop of any competitors," Cowger said.
The new body shop involves a complicated process called "linear cells" and dedicated tooling, Cowger said. He added the shop will be located in both the Metal Center fabricating plant and assembly plant, a decision made locally to be the most productive at the lowest capital investment possible.
"The teams down there have done a good job. Both the local unions have worked very well with management to get competitive agreements. We feel good about this," he said.