Retro Camaro future??

[12bolt]

While the FORD guys are loving the return of the Retro-MUSTANG and looking forward to a second chance at buying a "SHELBY GT500", brand new from the local FORD dealer, I wonder. Just what year of the First generation Camaro should a Retro Camaro be based on? and what powerplant offered today should be under the hood? How would you design yours??would a Yenko or Motion edition be offered in the second or third year of release?? or just never bring the Car back at all?

[Chevy454]

GM recently canceled it's plans to develop a rear drive chassis for 2008, to focus more on SUVs...so, don't hold your breath waiting on the General to do anything...

[12bolt]

Maybe the rising Gas prices will stem that tide! It is kind of Sad that they are just letting it go. But hey FORD left the T-Bird go a decade and brought it Back Retro style. not real successful.

[Mr. T]

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But hey FORD left the T-Bird go a decade and brought it Back Retro style. not real successful.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ford is going to leave the T-bird again, due to terrible sales. Heard it on the radio a couple of weeks ago.

[smooth]

I think the guys at GM are asleep. Ford and Chrysler are selling tons of retro cars. The retro camaro will NOT be built. The only GM retro is the SSR truck. I thought it was cool at first then i got a good look and they are but ugly. They are big and bulky. so if you want retro GM forget it. I'll stick to real cars, stock,custom,or rusted. The only thing GM is good for now is trucks. TIM!

[427TJ]

SUVs and pickups will continue to be the main focus of U.S. automakers, probably regardless of gasoline prices. They're comparitively cheap to build because they don't have to meet strict federal impact standards and people want the 'safety' and feeling of power that large vehicles provide (I'm bigger than you). The manufacturer's profit margin on SUVs and trucks is just too good to pass up.

If Ford had offered the new Thunderbird with a high-performance option that really was high-performance, they might have sold more of them. But again, people want big vehicles and the T-bird is basically a car idea from a bygone era. People see Detroit dream cars and say "build it!" and then those same people don't buy the car when it gets built.

The Mustang has something going for it that other names don't, in my opinion. The name "Mustang" conjures a spirit of the American West, of total freedom, of a wild and carefree spirit. Nostalgia is another aspect of the success of the Mustang. Ford lucked-out and timed the introduction of the '64 Mustang just right. There was a huge demographic of young people craving an identity of their own and there's this nice-looking sporty car with a great name: "Mustang." Yeah, a wild horse! That's me! Ford sold over a million '64-'66 Mustangs. I think that part of the American psyche is always there, the part that craves freedom of movement, style, unlimited horizons. Bill Ford was smart to let the Mustang designers craft the new car they way they did. It looks like a 1969 Mustang built to today's federal standards. I think they hit the nail on the head again. (Too bad they can't keep the price down in the mid-teens so that more young people could afford them.) Older people who remember the first Mustang see the new one and want to relive their youth. Most of us want to see another new Camaro (and Firebird) developed and built for similar reasons.

GM might build another Camaro/Firebird if they see a profit potential but the last Camaros built were over $30,000 for a SS or Z/28. I remember looking at a brand-new 2000 SS and seeing the $34,000 price tag and being shocked. I told the salesman, "It's a Chevy! It's supposed to be $20,000 MAX!" I just couldn't see paying $34,000 (+) for a 2000 Camaro SS. Isn't the new GTO over $35K? That's a lotta' bucks in my book. If GM builds a new Camaro/Firebird it is likely going to be close to $40,000, at least for the performace versions. You'd almost have to mortgage the house to buy one and that's something that our parents didn't have to do.

(Or: )

[JQ]

I agree with you Tim, the first time I saw the SSR truck was in Jan. 2003 at the LA auto show, and I thought to myself I can't belive General motors would produce something so hideous. Minus the power plant I think GM tried to cover the truck era of the 50's with the front end,the eighties with the bed and the late 90's with the 18"or 20" wheels. I don't think the GTO is as bad but with all of the hype that was given to the motor I was expecting something more sportier. Maybe someday the design department will be on the same page as the engineering department.....John Q.

[89irconvertable]

tim seein how you are my boss and all i woul have to agree but im also gonna have to let everyone here know you are one sick and twisted individual

[Keith Tedford]

I've suggested it before. Do a retro '69 Camaro. They could build a V6 version for the budget minded, an LS1 style 302, and a COPO 427 with the new LS7. Get the styling and price right and they wouldn't be able to build enough. Something similar could be done with a retro Chevelle as an alternative.

[MikeA]

I agree if GM did it right they could not build them fast enough. GM really needs to get their head out of their a$$. How about a retro-Nova?