The last Mitsubishi 380 reached the end of the production line at Adelaide's Tonsley Park yesterday.
Of the thousands of cars Peter Mueller inspected in 41 years at Tonsley Park, this one, No. 32,044, will be forever special.
The silver Mitsubishi 380, polished to a glistening sheen by a dozen hands, was the last to roll off the production line of the car-maker's Adelaide plant, which closes today, throwing most of its remaining 930 staff out of work.
Mr Mueller performed the last rites yesterday when he slapped a quality assurance sticker on the windscreen of the final 380 sedan to be made there.
The moment was bittersweet for the production workers who looked on, some teary, as a chapter of Australian auto-making ended.
“It's a relief in one way,” Mr Mueller said quietly. “We have been hanging on tenterhooks for the last few years, so at least now we've got an outcome and people can get on with their lives.”
The process auditor thinks he inspected about 30,000 of the 1.1million Mitsubishis that rolled off the Tonsley Park line; after the factory was taken over by the Japanese car-maker in 1980 from the US-based Chrysler company.
The car that was supposed to revive the glory days of Tonsley Park — when it produced the Charger coupe and not-so-beloved Valiant for Chrysler, then the successful Sigma, Colt and Magna lines for Mitsubishi — sealed its fate by bombing with Australian buyers.
If there was any bitterness among the retrenched workers, they kept it to themselves.
Andy Barwick, 43, started work at the plant as a 16-year-old in 1980 when the last Valiants were made. To have the production line fall silent after all those years was “surreal,” he said.
“It hasn't really sunk in that it's all over,” he added, his friend, Brian Wilson, 58, nodding in agreement. “I'm just so used to being here.”
Mark Smith, 34, hopes his training as a welder will land him work at Adelaide-based naval submarine builder ASC. A quality inspector on the production line, earning a base salary of $48,000, he is resigned to a lower-paid job.
Chris Peachey, 39, a leading hand in the factory paint shop, said it was time to move on. He is looking for a job in the mines, hopefully in South Australia, but he's prepared to move to Queensland or Western Australia with his wife and two children.
Metalworkers union state boss John Camillo said only 10per cent of the retrenched production workers had found jobs, and he was concerned those without trade qualifications could struggle.
Mitsubishi chief executive Rob McEniry paid tribute to the loyalty and commitment of the Tonsley Park staff.
As for the last 380, it will be auctioned among Mitsubishi dealers, with the anticipated six-figure proceeds going to charity.
Other cars in yesterday's final production run will be donated to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Vision Australia and Adelaide's National Motor Museum.
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