It’s the end of the line (again) for the Chevy Camaro. According to reports, the brand has wrapped up production of the model entirely, a few weeks past its best-before date thanks to delays partially brought on by UAW strike action earlier this year.
Insiders at GMAuthority.com say their sources indicate the last Camaro was built yesterday, December 14th, bringing to a close the sixth-generation chapter of this tire smoking book. Initially, a stop build date of late November was suggested, a date which was met for convertible production but extended for assembly of the final two-door hardtop coupes. Order books for the 2024 model year closed in early September.
Company spox have been mouthing suggestions that this week’s production halt “is not the end” of the Camaro story, presumably with the company having some sort of electric vehicle bearing the same model name up its corporate sleeve. We see how such a marketing exercise has transpired for the Blazer nameplate, culminating in the spectre of an EV crossover which counts front-wheel drive as part of its planned powertrain availability. If the same configuration crops up for Camaro, you best be sure we’ll all be dusting off our acid-washed jean jackets and mullet wigs before marching on Ren Cen with haste.
Those two items are standard company issue at TTAC, by the way.*
*Wigs? No no, we mean the genuine article mullet — Ed.
For motorsport fans wondering out loud if the likes of Chase Elliott will be piloting Malibu-branded racecars next year, fear not. Chevy has committed to running the Camaro name in multiple series for 2024, including NASCAR and IMSA. Same goes for the NHRA and the Supercars Championship. We’ll have to wait and see what’s in the hopper beyond next year. It’s a good-looking hot rod in most of its motorsport iterations, so this gearhead is feverishly hoping an equally attractive whip appears in 2025.
Through the first three quarters of this year, Chevy has moved 24,688 Camaro coupes and convertibles, a healthy jump of nearly 30 percent from the year prior. In contrast, Ford managed to sell 35,315 Mustangs, about equal to the same time frame 12 months ago, while Dodge sloughed off 35,350 Challengers (down from 42k) and 63,647 Chargers (flat). Yeah, I know the latter is a sedan but the point remains.
In any event, this leaves the Mustang as the last man standing in Detroit – at least in terms of this segment. Think there’ll be any sort of a reprise beyond the expected EV aspirations?
[Image: GM]
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