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Brampton’s silent assembly plant could soon get a For Sale sign. Trade union Unifor says Stellantis is considering shutting and selling the Ontario factory, once home to Dodge muscle cars and full-size Chrysler products, after a promised revival became a never-ending waiting game.
The former AMC plant most recently built the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger and Challenger, but stopped building cars in late 2023 as Stellantis prepared it for new Jeep production. Retooling was paused in February 2025, and by October the planned Jeep Compass had been redirected to Belvidere, Illinois, leaving Brampton without a product.
Related: The Plant That Built Dodge’s Last Hellcat Muscle Cars Could Make Chinese EVs Next
Unifor president Lana Payne says Stellantis told the union last Wednesday it was examining a closure and sale, CBC reports. No formal notice has been issued, and Payne says the labor agreement requires at least 12 months’ warning.
Stellantis isn’t saying much before bargaining begins. The automaker told the outlet its priority remains finding a “sustainable manufacturing solution” for Brampton. Payne called the development a “gut punch” for workers wondering whether their jobs are coming back.
Unifor Local 1285 represents roughly 2,200 Brampton members, currently receiving income security worth 70 percent of their earnings, CBC says. The Stellantis agreement covering Brampton, Windsor, and Etobicoke expires September 20, putting the plant’s fate in the bargaining-room spotlight.
Land For Auto-Use Only
There’s a wrinkle for any non-automaker buyer dreaming of bulldozers and condos. Brampton says it has zoned the property for automotive production, limiting the prospect of simply flipping the site to another use. City officials still want vehicles rolling out in the future, and with Chinese brands looking to expand production to Canada, Brampton could potentially one day build cars again.
Canada recently scrapped its ban on Chinese cars entering the country in return for China relaxing its tariffs on canola and metals and Stellantis chief executive Antonio Filosa has already floated the idea of building Chinese Leapmotor cars in Canada and Mexico – or at least assembling them there from kits. Stellantis acquired a 21 percent stake in Leapmotor for $1.6 billion (€1.5 bn) in 2023.
Canada’s industry ministry told Bloomberg it’s working with Stellantis, Unifor, and Ontario to preserve production, jobs, and investment. For now, Brampton remains stuck between a comeback and checking out for good. Local 1285 president Vito Beato insists “closure is not an option,” but Stellantis appears to be keeping every option open.
