Why the New Camaro Will Fail

The American Spectator ^ | 6/20/2006 12:07:16 AM | Eric Peters

[mowowie]

Unlike the Mustang -- which has always managed to appeal to a broad base of buyers ranging from young women to old men and everyone in between -- the Camaro is and always has been a strutting muscle machine. A car for drive-throughs, Friday night cruising, and teenage boys.

That works fine when it's 1969 -- and young, single guys can still afford to buy (and insure) such a car. It doesn't work so well in today's hamstrung, hyper-regulated and cost-inflated world. Part of what killed the latter-day GTO was its $30k price point. The young (under 30) guys who might want such a car couldn't afford it -- and the older guys who could had grown up. They wanted something less goofy. So did their wives. The same problem will surely beset the coming Camaro -- unless GM, by some miracle of Enron-esque accounting, figures out a way to sell the thing for less than $25,000.

[Buell_X1-1200]

Any pics?

[VOA]

It's a GM product?

And about as late to the Retro-car movement as you can get?

[martin_fierro]

And oh, yeah: IT'S UGLY.

[2banana]

If it helps guys pick up chicks - it will sell.

[ziggy_dlo]

gas guzzler

[in hoc signo vinces]

If they limit production...and only sell the cars in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, North and South Carolina...the camaro should do well.

[weegee]

The time to release such a car (if young and flush with cash is the target market) is during a trend like the internet boom (where young tech savvy entrepreneurs have money). Don't offer incentive financing (let someone else assume the defaulted loans).

[mowowie]

No pics with the story. A few I saw in a mag looked pretty nice. Styling reminiscent of a 67-69 camaro.

[traditional1]

Try here (video)

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=15&article_id=3124

[massgopguy]

I had a 1978 305. Every morning started with Highway Star.

[martin_fierro]

They should've gone with this concept.

They didn't.

Typical GM.

[PeteB570]

Strutting muscle machine?

I think the zenith for muscle cars was 1966-1973.

Just my opinion of course.

[Buell_X1-1200]

Yep, it's Fugly.

[LS]

I like it. Reminds me of my 69 Camaro: best car I ever had until I wrecked it racing a 440-six-pack Cuda. But I was winning when we crashed.

[Zeppelin]

gas guzzler? it's a displacement-on-demand, so you can shut off half the cylinders at cruising speed, so as to get 30 mpg highway.

[yobid]

I was just in Maryland and every 10th car or so was a Mustang. I couldn't believe it.

But that Camaro is one funny looking car.

[rattrap]

There isn't enough room under that roof for a sweet, king-of-the-trailer-park mullet, it will never sell.

[Hexenhammer]

For about the price of a new Camaro, you can find a classic beater in the newspaper, fix it up, and watch the price appreciate.

[mowowie]

Looks like something Dodge would put out.