Chrysler to Idle Windsor Minivan Plant for 12 Weeks

Chrysler Group LLC plans to suspend production at its minivan factory in Windsor, Ont., for 12 weeks next spring to retool the facility for a next-generation model.

CEO Sergio Marchionne says the shutdown will begin during the first quarter. Chrysler plans to phase out the Dodge Grand Caravan minivan but continue to build a successor to the Chrysler-branded Town & Country model.

The company is funding the retooling project itself after dropping efforts to extract incentives beyond the $639 million offered by Canada. Marchionne briefly threatened to move minivan production elsewhere but dropped the idea a few weeks later, withdrawing all requests for government aid.