Stellantis Updates Auburn Hills HQ with Jeep® Wagoneer S Wrap

Stellantis has finally unveiled the latest wrap on its North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan. This tradition of refreshing the look of their 15-story tower with a wrap highlighting a new product isn’t new. However, since the merger forming Stellantis, the process of updating the building’s exterior has been sluggish.

Last year, the building went without a wrap for most of the year, which is unusual given the consistent updates seen over the past 18 years. Previously, Chrysler Group would regularly showcase their latest products or achievements to the over 200,000 vehicles passing the 5.4 million-square-foot complex on Interstate 75 (I-75) in Auburn Hills daily. The tower, standing at 15 stories, acts as the complex’s centerpiece and is visible from a considerable distance down the interstate.

In October, The Detroit News reported that Stellantis was considering selling its North American Headquarters and Technical Center, part of a larger initiative involving the potential sale or closure of 18 facilities amid ongoing discussions with the United Auto Workers (UAW).

The 504-acre complex, once bustling with over 15,000 employees before the pandemic, boasts an impressive 5.4 million square feet of space, making it one of the largest standalone business complexes globally, second only in the United States to the Pentagon. Originally completed between 1993 and 1996 for the Chrysler Corporation, the building has changed ownership multiple times, serving as the North American headquarters for DaimlerChrysler, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), and now Stellantis North America.

Since the pandemic, most of Stellantis North America’s employees at the facility have been working remotely, with only a small group of engineers and designers present. Consequently, a significant portion of the complex has remained unoccupied. Beginning this year, Stellantis let go 2% or about 400 engineers from its North American operation to send those job duties to its operations in India and Brazil, where engineering teams earn significantly less, sparking controversy.

However, in recent months, there has been an uptick in employees and business conducted at the complex. Yet, despite this, the number of full employee lots remains significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels.

The last wrap featured the upcoming 2025 Ram 1500 REV, which is set to debut late this year. However, it was removed in October last year amidst rumors of the complex’s potential sale.

Recently, Stellantis surprised many by updating the 15-story tower to feature the all-new, all-electric 2024 Jeep® Wagoneer S. The new wrap presents a sleek look of the front of the new electric premium D-segment SUV, accompanied by the text “There Is Only Wagoneer S,” with “There Is One One” highlighted in a different color. The “There Is Only One” tagline has been synonymous with the Jeep® brand for decades.

The Wagoneer S marks the brand and Chrysler Group’s debut of an all-electric vehicle for North America, boasting an impressive 600 horsepower and 300 miles of range. The new Wagoneer S is set to arrive in dealerships next month, with pre-orders already open for the Launch Edition model, starting at $71,000.

Whether the timing of this update was to impress attendees at the company’s Investor Day 2024 presentation or signify a renewed embrace of operations at the complex remains to be seen. Nevertheless, it’s a welcome return to tradition at the former home of the Chrysler Corporation.