It was a dark day in 2001 when General Motors announced that the Chevy Camaro would cease to exist after the 2002 model year. There were various reasons for the nameplate being sent into retirement, not the least of which was severely sagging sales. For a few years, Chevy and Pontiac enthusiasts watched in agony as the rival Ford Mustang continued to be produced and sell well and was completely reinvigorated for the 2005 model year with a retro-inspired body style change and all-new platform.
Although the Camaro was in retirement, a core group inside GM was not willing to let it die. A new Camaro concept car was unveiled in 2006, its design heavily influenced by the first-generation Camaro. Response was excited, to say the least, but some inside GM were still reluctant to commit to the Camaro’s return. That was, until one of the drivable versions of the Camaro concept was used in 2007’s Transformers movie, painted in brilliant yellow and capable of transforming from a car to an autobot called Bumblebee. This poured gasoline on the blazing excitement for a new Camaro, and GM was left with no choice but to go ahead and take the car from concept to production.
ABOVE: When the Camaro returned as a 2010 model, it featured retro styling that hearkened back to the first-generation car. It was a big hit and helped set off a new Camaro vs. Mustang muscle car war. Shortly thereafter, a special package was offered, featuring bright Synergy Green paint.
The fifth-generation Camaro debuted in late 2009 as a 2010 model. It was a definite sales success and reignited the old pony car rivalry with the Mustang that had driven both nameplates over the previous decades. The sixth generation soon followed, but was met with some disappointment. Although it was mostly a new design, it bore such a striking similarity to the previous generation that it left many disappointed, especially when people started looking at the sticker price compared to the Mustang.
ABOVE: The fifth-generation Z/28 not only brought the famous badge back to the Camaro lineup, but also a much more race-oriented, powerful version of the Camaro. A Z/28 option for the sixth-generation Camaro was planned, but was recently axed in what became the first sign that the Camaro’s future was in jeopardy.
Sadly, it seems history is repeating itself. With disappointing sales and a new (but dubious) company focus on electric vehicles, GM recently announced it was shelving plans for a new seventh-generation Camaro. This was immediately followed by anonymously sourced reports from different media outlets that the current generation will mark yet another retirement of the Camaro nameplate.
Why is it happening again? Is it a smart move by GM? How after such a triumphant return could the Camaro once again be facing retirement? Let’s discuss some points on those questions.
First thing, pricing. We went to both the Ford and Chevrolet websites to check the price difference between the two. We built a base Mustang GT and base Camaro SS, both with manual transmissions. We didn’t add any options because that is such an unknown variable that changes from person to person and doesn’t give an accurate comparison. The Camaro priced out before taxes at $36,495 while the Mustang GT came in at $36,450. Only a $45 difference, so it doesn’t look like price was an issue.
Even with similar pricing though, the Mustang outsold the Camaro for the 2018 model year. Mustang sold 75,842 units compared to the Camaro’s 50,963. That’s about a 40,000-unit drop from when the Camaro was reintroduced for the 2010 model year. Mustang sales were 73,716 units for the 2010 model year, so it has seen a negligible sales drop.
ABOVE: The initial grille styling of the sixth-gen Camaro was met with much criticism, so Chevy just came out with revisions for the 2020 model, including the grille bar being painted body color and the bowtie emblem returning to above it.
Styling is a tough topic to talk about, inside or out, because it’s a very subjective. The fifth-gen Camaro was well received (except for the trunk opening) and even its modest facelift for 2014 garnered a positive reaction from most. When the all-new-for-2016 Camaro was revealed, many were taken aback. While the car was technically new, its styling was extremely similar to the previous generation. Expectations were for a more distinct styling departure. What was new didn’t sit well, like the grille design and placement of the RS and SS badges. One thing Camaro fans and haters often agree on is that the car has too much of an “enclosed” feeling, especially the sixth-generation model, and that it’s difficult to see out of. It hurts drivability, not to mention the enjoyment of driving such a capable performance vehicle.
Another problem for the Camaro? A changing world. The changing world is that people are turning away from cars and going towards trucks and SUVs. People want to sit higher and have more visibility for what’s around them, compared to the more enclosed cockpit and lower to the ground stance of a car. Ford announced that besides the Mustang and new Focus Active, SUVs and trucks are the only vehicles they plan to offer in America within the next few years. While GM hasn’t totally abandoned cars, there’s a consumer sales shift from cars to trucks and SUVs taking place across the industry. The Camaro has suffered from that shift, way more than the Mustang.
Along with changing sales trends, there’s also the changing mindset of those at the helm. GM has stated its goal will to be all electric sometime in the 2030s. The Corvette as Chevy’s flagship has a certain immunity to this mindset, but at some point the gas-powered V8 will be in the crosshairs. But the Camaro with declining sales doesn’t have any such immunity from the new push towards all-electric vehicles.
For the now, the current generation of Camaro will stay in production, with talk of 2022 or 2023 being the last model year. Between now and then, what will happen? Will new leadership come in and show support for going forward with a new Camaro? Will current leadership change its mind? Even if you're not a Camaro fan and your favor lies with the Mustang or Challenger, having the Camaro around is good for all enthusiasts. The competition it provides gives the other car companies real incentive to the other car companies to keep developing their own pony cars and not resting on their own laurels.
All enthusiasts can hope for now is that sales of the current model rebound so that no one gives up on the Camaro. Again.
