When the mullet went out of style, the Camaro went out of style.
Posted on 02/17/2024 6:44:38 PM PST by Red Badger
Three pony cars made it out of the muscle car era to be part of our modern automotive world. These three are the Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger, and Chevy Camaro. The Challenger is barely a pony car, but the Mustang and Camaro provide several engine options leading up to a V8 engine at the top of the line, defining the pony car market. While the Mustang lives on, the Chevy Camaro is dead and won’t likely return in true pony car form.
The top-level Chevy Camaro was awesome
At the top ZL1 trim, the last two generations of the Camaro delivered 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque through either a 6-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission. This power is excellent, but not the top figures in the class.
The Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 provides 760 horsepower and 625 lb-ft of torque, while the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye delivers 797 horsepower and 707 lb-ft of torque. These two competitors best the Camaro for power, but don’t have the same bragging rights as the Camaro.
As far back as the 2018 model year, the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE set a new track record at Nürburgring. This made many European automakers sit up and pay attention. This Camaro trim package includes incredible control features to handle the challenging corners of the legendary European track, with wider fenders and tires and the Magnetic Ride Control suspension package.
With a record time at the world’s most famous test track, why didn’t we see it in GM’s commercials?
GM could have pushed the affordable fun of the Camaro
Can you remember any commercials featuring the Camaro during the past fifteen years? You might remember one, possibly two, but the bow-tie brand had pushed its trucks, large SUVs, and, more recently, electric vehicles more than a classic pony car that represents what driving is all about.
The Chevy Camaro, especially in its classic form, is easily associated with the fun of driving down wide open roads. It would have been easy for Chevy to capitalize on the Nürburgring lap record. The brand could have presented this pony car in more advertising, doing what it does best: provide fun driving on any road.
Did we, as Americans, fail the Chevy Camaro?
Although the collective feelings about the sixth-generation design changes weren’t well received, the Camaro has been present at local Chevy dealers for many years. There it sat, in all its glory, waiting for any driver to scoop it up. The Camaro waited to deliver affordable fun, but all it could do wa wait. But did we gobble up this glorious car? Nope.
In fact, Camaro sales dipped to an incredible low of 21,893 in 2021 after reaching 88,249 only a decade before. According to Good Car Bad Car, Camaro sales increased in 2022 and 2023 compared to the 2021 low. Unfortunately, those figures weren’t enough to save this pony car from extinction.
There it was, waiting for any driver to take it for a test drive and then home to be the fun and active car that doubles as a great daily driver. Who failed the Chevy Camaro? Was it GM with a lack of advertising and a poor final design? Was it us, as Americans, who knew the car was at Chevy dealers but chose the Mustang or Challenger instead?
BLS inflation calculator works that out to $25,174.21 in 2024 dollars.
Lack of Fahrvergnügen.....................
Question that probably has an obvious answer to people here.
Cars like the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky and ones like them would have a waiting list for a limited amount with guys like Jay Leno first in line. People bidding over list price to get them. Then sold out.
At the same time they would say GM crisis. Fewer cars sold.
Question: Why didn’t they make more of the sold out ones?
A college buddy had a 1970 Camaro. Total hot rod. I only drove it once. At 90 mph, I shifted into 4th gear and chirped the tires.
I talked with him a few years ago. He still owned it.
I had a used ‘68 with a 328 V8. It had some pick up and go. :-)
GM could not sustain a line of cars that shared so few components with their other vehicles. They could for the higher price of the Corvette but not for the "economically sensible" Fiero.
When GM went back to a small two-seater, they went with the front engine Pontiac Solstice / Saturn Sky which was known within GM for how many parts it shared with Cadillacs, Chevy Cobalt, GMC Envoy, Hummer H3, Pontiac Grand Prix, Corvette, Chevy Malibu, Chevy HHR, GMC Canyon, and Chevy Colorado - engine, transmission, axles, differentials, airbags, steering column, air conditioning, steering wheel, etc. and even then couldn't sustain production for more than 4 years due to declining demand after its second year.
For the same reason a Corvette costs $70K+.
If they made more Corvettes, they wouldn’t be special any more, because everybody would have one. Limiting production keeps demand and therefore prices high.
Waaaaay back in the early 70’s, GM imported a car from Germany called the Opel GT. My stepdad bought one.
It looked like a miniature Corvette, only waaaay cheaper.
It started to cut into Corvette sales so GM killed it.
Same deal with the American Motors Javelin.
American Motors was more of a car assembler than a manufacturer. They bought parts from GM, Chrysler and Ford to make their cars.
The Javelin was a very good looking sporty car. So much so that it was selling too good and Ford the others were losing sales on Mustangs, Camaros and Chargers. They told AMC to kill it , which they did.
Don’t you mean 327? They didn’t make a 328.
I know they’re basically the same, but I’m a Firebird kind of girl, so...
Sorry, Chevy.
Of all my old cars I miss the ‘99 Firebird the most...............
I love seeing the Mustangs and Camaros and Challengers driving around, but I don’t want one.
I grew up in a ‘78 Firebird, and I was supposed to inherit it. Unfortunately, my dad needed the money and didn’t get anywhere near as much for it as he should have.
I at least got to drive it first, but I’m 5’2” and could barely reach the clutch with my toes, even with the seat moved all the way forward.
When the mullet went out of style, the Camaro went out of style.
This article is full of wrong information. Where to start?
First of the modern Camaro and Mustang are not pony cars. They are muscle cars.
Even the base 4 cyl. engine would put an old school big block to shame.
Georgia Rednecks are in mourning..........................
Yes. Poor design. The Camaro was like riding in a tank. High beltlines made for poor outward visibility.
The Camaro was an absolute performance beast, and in the higher versions easily outpaced the rival pony cars. However, the fifth generation was not roomy, and had slit windows. Instead of making a more practical driver, GM doubled down on the sixth gen with the bunker mentality. It was a great track car, and maybe a good driver for smaller less claustrophobic people.
I've test driven a few Challengers. My six foot son easily fit in the back seat. They even made an AWD GT version, albeit with the V6, that made a pretense of an all-year driver for people in the north. It wasn't a great track car, even in the Hellcat variants, but it was a fun car to drive around.
I missed out on my chance for a new Challenger. Maybe in the used market some day. If they don't pass the Motor Law.
A recent article on the Opel GT.
https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/cars-that-time-forgot-opel-gt/
Interesting.
My stepdad’s was red just like the pic.
It was really fun car to drive...................
- Car and Driver, Sept. 7, 2023
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