With several auto plants and a well-trained workforce, Saltillo was nicknamed the “Detroit of Mexico.” Tesla is building its next generation platform nearby. But one of Saltillo’s biggest presences is the factory that assembles its heavy-duty trucks and buildings. In fact, Chrysler’s involvement in Saltillo dates back to the 1950s.
Ram builds trucks in Saltillo, Mexico
Saltillo, Mexico, is just 180 miles south of the US border. It is also the capital of the third largest state in Mexico. These factors make it an excellent location for manufacturing. Chrysler and General Motors opened plants in Saltillo in the 1950s.
Built in Saltillo. Ram still assembles the fifth generation 1500 in Michigan. It also assembles some (but not all) of the fourth-generation “classic” Ram 1500 trucks in Michigan.
Every heavier truck — right down to the Ram’s cab — hails from Saltillo. In addition, the Ram Promaster truck comes from Mexico. Ram trucks are very popular in the Mexican market. The Saltillo Ram plant also produced the Ram 700 compact truck and the Ram 4000 heavy-duty truck for the Mexican market.
Saltillo is home to the Stellantis stamping, engine building, and truck assembly plants
Ram pickup truck assembly in Saltillo, Mexico | stellants
Chrysler Corporation owns multiple plants in Saltillo. The Saltillo engine is one of its largest plants. It employs more than 2,000 workers and has manufactured more than 21 million engines – according to . Saltillo was one of the first manufacturers to build the latest Hemi, a Hellcat variant, now the Hurricane I6.
Ram also operates a truck assembly plant in Saltillo and a separate truck assembly plant. The truck factory is obviously assembling the Promaster while the truck factory has been assembling several Rams. The Saltillo truck has already collected more than four million Rams. Together, these factories employ 6,700 workers.
Chrysler Corporation also operates the Saltillo Seal, which seals components for multiple vehicles. You can see where Stellantis engines sold in North America are made in the table below:
| Engine name | vehicles | assembly plants |
| 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine | Ram 1500, Ram 1500 Classic | Trenton, Michigan Dundee, Michigan Saltillo, Mexico |
| 3.0-liter Hurricane twin-turbo I6 | Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer, Wagoneer L, Grand Wagoneer L | Saltillo, Mexico |
| 5.7L HEMI V8 | Ram 1500 | Saltillo, Mexico |
| 6.4L “BGE” Hemi V8 | Ram 2500 heavy-duty and larger trucks | Saltillo, Mexico |
| 6.4L Apache SRT Hemi V8 | Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392, Dodge Durango SRT | Saltillo, Mexico |
| 6.2-liter Hellcat supercharged SRT Hemi V8 | Ram 1500 TRX | Saltillo, Mexico |
| 6.7 liter Cummins turbodiesel I6 | Ram 2500 heavy-duty and larger trucks | Columbus Midring, Ohio engine plant |
Automakers focus on “nearby support” in Mexico
Many American citizens insist on buying cars made in the USA, while others try to focus on products from at least one of our NATO allies. For this reason, the Automotive Labeling Act mandates that every vehicle (lighter than a heavy-duty truck) must have a sticker window showing where it was assembled and what percentage of its parts come from the United States or Canada.
But global shortages over the past several years have highlighted another problem: sourcing components like semiconductors from abroad leaves supply chains vulnerable. For this reason, many automakers focus on “nearby support”. It just means getting as many ingredients as possible from somewhere in North America.
To this end, Saltillo’s manufacturing capabilities are an important resource. Ram, for example, employs thousands of members of the National Federation of Integrated Vehicles and Allied Industries in Mexico. Workers from all over Mexico are flocking to Saltillo and they’ve brought the average age in the city down to 27. Ram’s offers training and Ram’s Saltillo mills have earned company-wide awards for quality construction.
Who knows what the future will hold for Detroit, Michigan. But Saltillo has become a major capital of the automobile industry. And if supply chain issues have taught us anything, it’s that having more manufacturing on this continent is a good thing for everyone.
Then, find out which one, or learn more about car manufacturing in Mexico in the video below:
