Final Chevrolet Camaro Has Been Built
After 50 years, the final Chevrolet Camaro rolls off the assembly line– with mass layoffs are to follow.
Multiple sources are reporting that the final Chevrolet Camaro has been built. The sixth generation Camaro has been with us since the 2016 model year. The Camaro offered a V8 engine hooked up to a manual transmission for just over $40,000. The model range topped out with the ZL1 packing a supercharged V8 good for 650 horsepower. The Camaro was an American icon, and now it is dead. As of now there are no plans for GM to build a seventh generation Camaro. To make matters even worse, now that production is ending GM is planning to lay off hundreds of workers.
Road & Track has received an email from GM regarding the Camaro. “Camaro is a passion product,” the statement reads. “It has developed a fan base across the world and has brought people into Chevrolet dealerships for generations. The sixth generation specifically represented athleticism and composure – exuding confidence on the road and dominance on the track.” Our friends at GM Authority have heard from Global Chevrolet vice president Scott Bell. Bell stated “While we are not announcing an immediate successor today, rest assured, this is not the end of Camaro’s story.”
We Have Been Here Before
This is not the first time that production of the Camaro has been put on hold. The final fourth generation Camaro was the 2002 model year. The fifth generation Camaro did not emerge until the 2010 model year. So, while the Camaro has been with us since 1967, it is not unprecedented for the model to be considered done. However, this time there is a significant difference. Hopefully the Camaro does return, but the chances are a seventh generation will be nothing like the previous six. The Camaro has always been defined by a powerful V8 engine lurking under the hood. There is virtually no chance that a future Camaro will be powered by a V8. At best it would be a hybrid Camaro, but chances are that if GM were to ever bring the Camaro back that they will make it a fully electric car.
More Bad News
The final Chevrolet Camaro has been built. No successor has been planned. And if there ever is a successor, it will likely be an EV. The bad news doesn’t stop there. The Detroit News is reporting that GM will permanently lay off 1,314 workers at two Michigan plants now the Camaro and Bolt production has ended. 369 layoffs are happening at the Lansing Grand River Assembly plant where the Camaro was previously made. According to a statement made by spokesperson Kevin Kelly the layoffs will be effective January 2, 2024.
The Pony Car Future
No matter if you are a fan of the Camaro, Mustang or Challenger, the future of the American V8-powered pony car is bleak. The Mustang is still going strong, but it is not clear how long Ford will be able to offer a V8 Mustang. The Challenger with the Hemi engine is dead. A replacement is likely to be electrified. And of course, the final Chevrolet Camaro has already been made with no plans of a return. When the new wave of electric models hit the streets, they will do doubt make big power and be extremely quick. But they won’t have the beating heart of a V8 engine under the hood and has been their defining characteristic for about 60 years.
Images: Chevrolet
