Picture of the Day: Home of the Taurus finally torn down
Ford assembly plant in Hapeville, Georgia - Click above to enlarge
Ford's assembly plant in Hapeville, Georgia stopped producing the last generation Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable back in late 2006. At that time, Ford had long since ceased selling the Taurus to the general public, as the last remaining units went directly into fleet service.
Autoblog reader Drachen sent us these images recently of the Hapeville plant that produced the original Taurus, or rather, what's left of it. The site was purchased by Jacoby Development in June 2008 and demolition of its buildings began last August. On February 12 they tore down the final standing structure, which happened to be the main assembly building. Commuters on nearby I-75 had driven past the building countless times and seen the large blue oval and "Atlanta Assembly - World Acclaimed Home of Ford Taurus & Mercury Sable" on its side.
Times have changed. The Taurus name was resurrected a couple of years ago to replace the Five Hundred moniker on Ford's large sedan, which has been significantly redesigned for the 2010 model year. That car, however, will obviously not be built in the 60-year-old plant that proudly pieced together the last model, but rather Ford's Chicago Assembly plant.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Aprime 3:36PM (3/11/2009)
Meh.
Reminds me of the GM plant in Boisbriand, QC.
Or rather the lack of it, there's a shopping center where it used to be now.
>_>
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Luis 3:40PM (3/11/2009)
There's your problem - replacing manufacturing with shopping. And shopping with what? Credit. Yay!
Gary 3:58PM (3/11/2009)
How true, Luis. Not enough people know how money works.
Randy 4:24PM (3/11/2009)
And might I add that 99%+ of the products in these stores are from other counties!.... First goes manufacturing, then shopping, then credit, then......... America?
Hmm!
Adam 4:59PM (3/11/2009)
I won't pile on you, but this is a pot more than "meh". This was an Atlanta landmark, and now it's torn down. With all the people driving to and from Florida it was a sign that you were entering/leaving the city. It's a landmark, and landmarks deserve more than a simple good riddance.
Yikes 5:37PM (3/11/2009)
Yes, now all those people driving through Georgia going to Florida will see the new Kia plant. The Honda transmission plant, and be reminded that Ford choose to build their midsizers in Mexico.
Erik 6:18PM (3/11/2009)
Nice try Yikes.
Ford did not move Taurus production out of the country, they moved it to a different part of the country (Chicago).
Ford may build some of it's models out of country, but so do Honda and Kia. The difference is Ford profits stay in America while Honda and Kia profits are funneled to Asia.
Your spin doesn't fly here.
thedude3389 8:51PM (3/11/2009)
Though, i gotta say, now driving in the area...IT WAS HUGE. I never realized that plant was so big...
Shame it had to be destroyed, i knew quite a few people who worked there.
thedude3389 8:52PM (3/11/2009)
I meant at the one in Boisbriand, QC. =P
Yikes 11:18PM (3/11/2009)
BIG FAIL Erik.
I said Ford moved midsize car production to Mexico. I never said anything about the Toreass.
Menice 3:48PM (3/11/2009)
probably put a flipping Walmart- Costco super center.
its amazing how small the backhoe looks.
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VP 3:57PM (3/11/2009)
I think they are planning a mixed use development there since it is so close to the airport. I read in the local paper that it should consist of more hotel and office space and ofcourse more shopping. It will just makes my commute past that site even more difficult.
EJ25RUN 9:24PM (3/11/2009)
To Erik:
I live in Atlanta and i'm trilled that its gone. To me it looked like a big Ford prision.
Oh...and your thing about profits going to other countries.
I'll make sure to mail the check for my next Subaru directly to Fuji. And the Subaru after that, and the one after that.
See what i did there? I spun it.
rsteck 6:32PM (3/11/2009)
Interesting view from Google Streets:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=ford+assembly+plant,+Hapeville,+GA&sll=33.665068,-84.431734&sspn=0.052506,0.077248&ie=UTF8&ll=33.650139,-84.397565&spn=0,359.996567&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=33.650138,-84.397056&panoid=oek02H_mzOAnD_5lU-mjSQ&cbp=12,286.6423469640589,,1,-1.0976562500000016
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Yikes 2:45PM (3/12/2009)
IRONY.
In that streetview, spin around and you will see a Camry in front of the old Taurus factory.
mister falcon 3:58PM (3/11/2009)
Sad, that plant and its employees built some good cars. I always preferred an Atlanta built Taurus/Sable over a Chicago built one. I learned to drive in mom's Atlanta built Taurus wagon, and owned an Atlanta built Sable. Most of my family members have owned various Taurus/Sables over the years, and we grew to enjoy that "Built with Pride in Atlanta, GA" sticker that would be on the right rear door window.
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Joe 6:14PM (3/11/2009)
Also good that the Atlanta Tauruses and Sables didn't have the Chicago dogleg rust issue.
Both my Sable and my Taurus were built in Atlanta. Sad to see it go.
Torrey 4:00PM (3/11/2009)
Sad to see such a great landmark gone. I passed this very often on trips up I-75. You will be missed giant Ford logo.
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Jason 4:12PM (3/11/2009)
How sad. I once took my Taurus SHO on a road trip from Southern Oklahoma to Georgia back in '96 and got to see where my baby was built. A homecoming of sorts for my girl...(sniff)....
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Mike 4:35PM (3/11/2009)
One side of me feels sad that this is what has become of so many manufacturing facilities in this country.
The other feels it's more of a symbol that Ford has broken it's old product tradition for a new one, as the last of the old Taurus' is the prime example of what the domestics did wrong in their recent past- allowing the product the wither on the vine. I'd say throw in another picture of the currently running Chicago Assembly Plant as an example of the future directionbut I'm afraid the outside is nothing to look at, it's pretty old and wouldnt' capture the story. I do understand that the inside has all the latest in flexible manufacturing though.
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