While none remain today, for years New Jersey turned out thousands upon thousands of classic American cars at assembly plants in Bergen, Middlesex and Union counties.
The oldest plant was the General Motors assembly facility in Linden. Opening in 1935 and remaining in operation through 2005, GM’s website notes the plant turned out Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, Buicks Chevrolet’s S-10 Blazer and the GMC Jimmy as well as a variety of commercial vehicles for GMC’s Truck and Bus division.
The Ford Motor Company’s Edison Assembly Plant opened in 1948. A memorable sight through generations was the rows and rows of Fords visible from Routes 27 and 1 awaiting delivery to dealerships across the country. The facility produced both the Ford Mustang and the Ford Pinto as well as the Falcon, Escort, Ranger pickup and, later, the Mazda B-series. The plant closed for good in 2004.
The Ford Assembly Plant in Mahwah had the shortest period of operation, staying in business from 1955 to 1980. The plant produced the Edsel in 1958 as well as the longer-running model lines Ford Galaxie, Ford LTD, Ford Granada, Ford Fairmont, Mercury Monarch, Mercury Zephyr and Lincoln Versailles.
A 2008 article in the New York Times noted that, at its peak in 1970, the automotive manufacturing industry in New Jersey employed 14,000 workers. The article noted that the Garden State plants were part of a general and massive downsizing on the part of auto manufacturers, with the hardest-hit plants being those that produced vehicles that were to be discontinued or for whom demand had shrunk.
Here’s a gallery of vintage photos of cars in New Jersey. If you have vintage photos you’d like to see in our slide shows, send them in an email to [email protected].