General Motors has released an official announcement of its intention to end production of the Chevrolet Camaro in January 2024. The latest sixth-generation Camaros will roll off the assembly line at the Lansing, Michigan plant.
In the current generation, the car has been produced in coupe and convertible bodies since 2016 and is equipped with a wide range of power plants. In the basic version of the Camaro (from $ 27.8 thousand for a coupe in the US market), a 2.0-liter turbo engine with 275 horsepower is installed.
The most powerful version of the ZL1 is equipped with a 650-horsepower V8 and costs almost triple it (more than $77.3k in the US).
The Camaro, like its main competitor Ford Mustang, is a car with a classic layout and sporty appearance, in the basic configuration they were always sold with not the most powerful engines. For this, they got the name pony cars in the North American market. The reference to a small horse indicates that the styling of this type of car is like a real sports car. It took hold after the Ford Mustang, the ancestor of the class, posted very strong sales immediately after its launch. When the Chevrolet Camaro was introduced in 1966, annual sales of the Mustang exceeded 607,000.
chasing the Mustang
Work on the first-generation Chevrolet Camaro began in 1964, as soon as the Mustang proved to be exceptionally popular. In mid-November 1965, the first body was built, and serial production of the coupe (with the long hood and the interior shifted back) began on August 7, 1966.
In the basic version, the Camaro was equipped with a 6-cylinder engine with a capacity of 140 forces.
More serious 8-cylinder units with up to 375 forces were also available for the new coupe.
Shortly after the production car was released, it had a modification of the popular Trans Am racing series, focusing on the Z28 with a 4-speed “mechanics” and a 290-horsepower engine.
In the second half of the sixties, “pony carriages” became popular with teenagers, as a large generation of so-called “baby boomers” born in the first years after World War II began to enter adulthood.
Moreover, the model lineup included relatively affordable cars.
Consistent improvement
The second generation car was released in 1970. Its design has changed a lot, but the chassis design has remained the same. True, GM engineers managed to significantly improve the handling of the car. Due to the weight of the Camaro, the base engine of the car was a 4.0-liter V6, and the top version of the Super Sport received a V8 with a displacement of 6.6 liters.
In the mid-70s, the Camaro project was threatened with closure for the first time due to the oil embargo announced by the Arab countries.
Gasoline prices skyrocketed, and Americans began phasing out fuel-efficient cars en masse. Then the car lost the largest engines, but remained in the lineup.
The third generation of the car appeared in 1981, after which Camaro first tried a 4-cylinder engine with a capacity of 90 forces in the basic version. The fourth generation of the sports car was produced from 1993 until 2002, when it was decided to discontinue the Camaro for the first time, lagging far behind the Ford Mustang in sales. The cult model was only revived in 2009 and found a new round of popularity thanks to cinema.
one of the Transformers
In 2007, the Chevrolet Camaro became one of the heroes of the movie “Transformers”. Concern General Motors has pulled off concepts for the revived Camaro on the eve of the next-gen model’s debut. Bumblebee, one of the main robot characters, was copied from this machine. Moreover, the design of the main character in various series has changed, but it looks like a Camaro of different generations.
The film adaptation of the Transformers series gave the Camaro new popularity: in 2009, the model sold over 60,000 copies versus 20,000 in the last year of production of the previous generation, and in 2010 Chevy outpaced the Mustang in sales.
Not collectible but iconic
Experts in the automotive antiques market interviewed by socialbites.ca say that the Chevrolet Camaro cannot be considered a collector’s rarity, whose price is guaranteed to increase over time. At the same time, they admit that the cult status of the model is undeniable, including the appearance of the car in the movies.
Antiquarian Automobiles, a company that sells, restores and maintains classic and collectible cars, explained to socialbites.ca that the Chevrolet Camaro was originally launched as a mass model aimed at a younger audience.
“The Camaro was born as a car for young people, as the first vehicle to introduce the Chevrolet brand.
At the same time, you have to imagine that it sells millions of copies and therefore will not be of collectible value, ”a representative of the company, who introduced himself as Alexander, told socialbites.ca.
Classic Camaros are of historical value for display in museums, giving you an insight into how the auto industry has evolved, the source believes this is a shocking car in many ways.
“For our market, the deterrent factor in the purchase and import of such cars is the customs duties calculated according to the engine volume.
For a car with a 5.7 engine costing 10-20 thousand dollars in a well-maintained condition in the USA, you will have to pay around 40 thousand dollars in tax,” Alexander gives as an example.
Therefore, he noted that such cars are in demand only among loyal fans and enthusiasts of the brand.
Gleb Rachko, owner of Oldtimer Cars, believes that among the Camaro, limited-edition cars with low mileage have the potential to become a collector’s item.
“The most valuable Camaros now are the cars of the sixties in the most powerful versions with V8s.
they will gain value. In an interview with socialbites.ca, Rachko said that the Camaro is a mass model and will not be a “blue chip” like the Ferrari 250 GTO, of which only 36 were produced.
At the same time, there is a huge loyal fan base of young and old like the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang, these cars are popular and trendy, including in popular culture and movies. He adds that there are no prerequisites for them to become cheaper in the future.
“If a model is discontinued, the prices of last year’s cars and limited editions always rise. Moreover, the Camaro in the latest body became popular thanks to Transformers.
If you find a Camaro with low mileage and completely safe, its price will not go down, ”said Rachko.