It opened in its original location in downtown Oshawa in 1918 in order to build ambulances for World War I and Chevrolet vehicles before it merged with GM.

The plant later moved to the GM Autoplex facilities south of the city starting production in 1965 until it was indefinitely closed in 2009.

These dramatically decreased demand for fuel-inefficient light trucks and truck-based vehicles, especially in the crucial market of the United States.

GM itself had been in a precarious financial situation for several years, which dramatically worsened as a result of the 2008 economic problems, eventually forcing it to seek government aid and potentially filing for bankruptcy.

[3] The last truck off the line, a black 2009 GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab, was raffled off to an employee and the proceeds went to the Hospital for Sick Children.