Stellantis Vigo Plant
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive manufacturing |
| Predecessor | Citroën Hispania |
| Founded | April 1958 |
| Headquarters | Vigo , Spain |
Area served | Spain, Europe |
| Owner | Stellantis |
Number of employees | 6000 (1975) |
| Website | www |
The Stellantis Vigo plant (Centro de Vigo de Stellantis) is an automotive manufacturing and assembly site located in Vigo, Galicia, Spain. It is owned by Stellantis, the company formerly known as Groupe PSA.
Founded by Citroën in April 1958, the facility's creation was influenced by Spain's stringent tariff protections favoring local car manufacturers.
History
The operation, initially named "Citroën Hispania," started with a workforce of about 100 employees. Vigo was selected due to its strategic port access and tax advantages offered by a "freeport" zone established under Francisco Franco. The first model produced was the Furgoneta AZU, a van based on the locally assembled Citroën 2CV, followed a year later by the passenger car variant. Early production volumes reached approximately 400 units.
By August 1959, the factory relocated to the Balaídos area, increasing output to 1,700 vehicles. Production primarily targeted Spain’s domestic market because of economic constraints and high tariffs imposed on imports from neighboring countries. In 1960, production climbed to 3,600 vehicles with an employee count near 500.
Up until the early 1970s, Vigo concentrated on manufacturing the 2CV and its variants until the introduction of the mid-sized Citroën GS in 1971. The plant experienced consistent expansion, achieving an output of around 110,000 vehicles by 1975 and employing roughly 6,000 workers.
After Peugeot acquired Citroën, production of the Peugeot 504 commenced at Vigo in 1977, later followed by the Peugeot 505. Despite this, the majority of manufacturing continued to focus on Citroën models such as the Citroën Visa, Citroën BX, Citroën AX, Citroën ZX, Citroën Xsara, Citroën Xsara Picasso, and Citroën C4 Picasso.
From 1984 until 2005, about 1.1 million units of the Citroën C15 van were assembled at this site. The production of the Citroën Berlingo and its twin, the Peugeot Partner, began in 1996.
Site
The plant encompasses various departments including panel stamping, welding, painting, and final assembly operations.
Production
In 2005, Vigo manufactured 422,950 vehicles along with 46,410 CKD kits. By 2007, production surged to a record high of 547,000 vehicles over three shifts, largely driven by strong sales of the second-generation Citroën C4 Picasso.
The Centro de Vigo facility produced roughly 497,000 vehicles in 2020 and approximately 495,400 units in 2021.