The Jeep Cherokee will live on but its history in Toledo was about to end late today.

The last Toledo-built Cherokee was to roll off the line at the Toledo Assembly Complex in the last moments of the day. Officials said the vehicle is destined for a dealer in Georgia.

“It's definitely been exciting. Everyone is more than overwhelmed,” said Abigail Henry, of Toledo, a team leader on the the Cherokee line who has worked at the plant full time since 2014.

“It's bittersweet. This is all we've done since we've been here for most of the newest hires,” she said. “It's an amazing feeling to have that last car roll off and have everybody be able to put their last stamp on that last vehicle.”

Employees were building about 600 vehicles today, less than usual.

As the white Cherokee moved down the line, employees took photos and selfies with coworkers. Workers traded high-fives, hugs, and handshakes. A few wiped tears away.

“It's been fun going around and just seeing how the team is reacting. It's been a very emotional day,” said  Chuck Padden, plant manager at the Toledo Assembly Complex. “The team here gave birth to the Cherokee. We gave birth to it, we nurtured it, we watched it grow and now we're going to watch it go on to the next phase of it's life. It's like a child. You raise it and wish it all the best.

“You're seeing people you wouldn't think ​would be emotional about a vehicle going who were very emotional watching this car go,” Mr. Padden said. “I don't think a lot of people understand the passion this workforce has here. 

“We're celebrating the Cherokee now and very quickly turning our eye to the Wrangler,” Mr. Padden said.

Cherokee production will resume at a plant in Belvidere, Ill., in the coming weeks. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has said the move — part of a larger reshuffling of its North American manufacturing footprint — was necessary in order to build the next-generation Jeep Wrangler here in Toledo. Production of that vehicle is expected to start sometime in the year’s fourth quarter.

Fiat Chrysler has said about 3,200 Jeep workers will be laid off until the plant is ready to begin building the new Wrangler.

The Cherokee has been built in Toledo since 1974. While the vehicle has been built elsewhere over that time, Toledo has always been its primary home. 

Fiat Chrysler launched the current Cherokee in 2013 and has sold more than 665,000 in the United States.  

First Published April 7, 2017, 2:17 a.m.