There was a time when muscle cars dominated the streets but now their presence has dwindled with SUVs and high-riding crossovers replacing them in global markets. Now, Chevrolet has bid farewell to one of its prodigal sons– Camaro– by announcing the end of production, almost six decades after it was introduced.
Chevrolet Camaro bids farewell
One of the last few proper muscle cars available, the Camaro was first launched in the USA in 1967. It squared off against other American muscle cars including Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger– the only two notable muscle cars that remain in series production. Both models are reportedly set for generation upgrades next year, with all-electric models also on cards.
Media reports revealed that the last unit of the sixth generation Camaro will roll off factory floors in January 2024. Reports further indicate there is no scope of development of a new-gen model of Camaro in the horizon, therefore, it has officially been retired. However, this isn’t the first time that Camaro has gone off production.
Chevrolet Camaro legacy
Chevrolet sold four consecutive generations of the Camaro until 2003, after which the sports car went off the shelves for seven. The Camaro made a return with the fifth generation in 2010. The sixth-gen Camaro made its global debut in 2015, with full-scale manufacturing and deliveries commencing in 2016 to commemorate the model’s 50th anniversary.
The ZL1 1LE model of the outgoing sixth-gen Camaro is arguably considered as the best performance car General Motors (GM), parent company of Chevrolet, has made till date. It was built on GM’s Alpha chassis and powered by a 6.2-litre V8 petrol engine which was mated to a six-speed manual transmission.
This development comes at a time when GM is about to fire around 1,300 employees from its Lansing-based production facility in Michigan. The American auto giant will also lay off 945 workers from its Orion assembly plant next month.
As a fitting farewell, Chevrolet introduced a special Collector’s Edition limited to only 350 units for the ZL1 in Panther Black Matte paint and a serialised steering wheel badge. Lower trim levels received a Panther Black metallic tintcoat paint with satin black stripes.
