he Chrysler Group’s Belvidere assembly plant in Illinois reached a major milestone on Wednesday, July 28, when the one millionth vehicle, a natural green Jeep Patriot, that will be delivered to B.Z. Motors Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge dealer in Lewisburg, Pa, rolled off the assembly line.

The Belvidere plant was constructed in 1964-65 and the first car was produced on July 7, 1965. Over the years, it has produced a variety of models for the Chrysler Group including two-door, four-door models and station wagons for Plymouth and Dodge, the Chrysler New Yorker and Imperial and, the Dodge Dynasty, Omni and Neon. Currently, the plant makes the Dodge Caliber and the Jeep Compass and Patriot crossovers.

“The Belvidere plant has been producing some of Chrysler’s most popular models for the past 45 years and the Jeep Patriot is just the latest model to add to the list,” said Kurt Kavajecz, BAP Plant Manager.

“We are honored to be part of this significant milestone. The success of the Jeep Patriot, Jeep Compass and Dodge Caliber is a testament to the dedication of our workforce and their commitment to producing a high quality product.”