Spartan Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAR) hosted General Motors and Isuzu Commercial Truck of America executives to celebrate the first of the new Chevrolet medium-duty, gasoline-powered trucks as they rolled off the production line at the Spartan plant in Charlotte, Mich.
The new Chevrolet 3500, 3500HD, 4500, 4500HD, 4500XD, 5500HD and 5500XD truck line is the result of a strategic business relationship between General Motors and Isuzu. Spartan, a leader in the manufacturing of high-quality specialty chassis and vehicle assembly, was awarded the build contract and is responsible for the assembly of the trucks, which are based on Isuzu's N-Series design.
"Production of the Chevrolet medium-duty line begins in earnest today as we witness the first of what we expect to be many of these durable and maneuverable vehicles roll off our assembly line," said Daryl Adams, President and Chief Executive Officer, Spartan Motors. "Our strategic business relationship with Isuzu began in 2011, and our company has realized significant growth and success in this segment due in part to the great trust they've shown in our team's execution of their vision for this broad product line. In fact, we celebrated the 30,000th Isuzu N-Series production milestone this year, and we expect GM will realize similar success with their vehicle line."
Spartan Motors will be manufacturing seven different Chevrolet models including regular-cab and crew-cab body style options and chassis lengths ranging from 109 inches to 212 inches. Additionally, several drivetrain options exist, including a 6.0 liter, V-8 GM gasoline engine as well as Isuzu-sourced 3.0 liter or 5.2 liter turbo-diesel engines. All engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
"One of our core competencies at Spartan is our contract manufacturing expertise," added Adams. "This expansion of our relationship with Isuzu, and thereby General Motors, is a reflection of our traditional high standards of quality and reliability that are built into every specialty chassis and vehicle we manufacture."