Camaro Information
As much as apple pie is considered American, so is General Motors' pony car, the Camaro. Long associated with the young male muscle car crowd, the Camaro was first created to take on Ford's muscle car and in time developed it's own following and history. Today the Camaro has been given a second reprieve, returning to production in 2009 after a long hiatus due to poor sales.
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History
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The race of the muscle cars began prior to the introduction of the Camaro and instead with Ford's release of the Mustang in Spring 1965. General Motors was not amused and quickly worked on its own answer.
The Camero first went on sale in fall of 1966 to provide direct market competition to Ford's successful Mustang. Sensing a hunger for fast, powerful cars, Chevrolet threw its pony car into the ring to win the hearts and minds of male consumer drivers nationally. For those who wanted a bit more, the Camaro had cross-utilization parts that allowed for the amped model of the Pontiac Firebird, released a year later.
Birth
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The Camaro lived through four generations of models prior to its 2002 demise. The 2009 resurrection represents the fifth generation design in the series.
The marketing of the first generation was directly developed to counter the success of Ford's Mustang. With images of a nasty beast that eats Mustangs for lunch and similar language, the Camaro's introduction was positioned to be General Motors aggressive market grab. The model came developed as a sleek-line, two-door body with a rear-wheel drive. The seating inside had capacity of four persons via bucket seat contouring. Options included a coupe or convertible. Engine size was a gas-guzzling 8-cylinder monster or a more economical 6-cylinder package.
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Getting the Package Right
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The second generation arrived with the turn of the decade via the 1970 Camaro. Still using a large and wide body base, the Camaro still retained its rolling curve look that made it distinct from any other vehicle. Quickly becoming the car-to-have among the young male driver set, the car generated its own mythology in music and image, and today the 1970s Camaro is the most remembered among vintage enthusiasts.
Spanning a decade, the 1970s model gave birth to the power upgrade model, the Z-28, the RS and the SS models. The Z-28 was so powerful, law enforcement were rumored to have complained a bit about the vehicle's ability to outrun police pursuits.
Stumbling Down
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The third generation, dubbed the "bubble window" model was introduced in the early 1980s. This design produced a more model look, doing away with the '70s curves and replacing them with sleek, angular shapes. Although it still came with an 8-cylinder engine option, most production was offered as a 6- or even a 4-cylinder package. This generation gained the reputation as the beginning of the end for the car. The power production was significantly less and the car was more prone to breakdowns than its stronger predecessors. The third generation production lasted until the early 1990s.
Closure
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The fourth or full 1990s version still hung onto to the coupe style and four-person seating, plus the traditional options of a convertible and an 8-cylinder engine. Unfortunately, the car suffered from the general malaise or perception of American cars lacking quality along with a national economic recession. People wanted economical engines or big capacity for hauling and family travel. The Camaro was neither. Eventually the fourth generation folded by the turn of the century due to dismal sales, overcapacity and no consumer interest.
Resurrection
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Brought back into vogue via a concept car display, the fifth generation won popular appeal again, especially with an appearance in science fiction movies ironically based on toys from the 1980s. Full production was made available in March 2009. The new model comes in three options, ranging from a 6- to 8-cylinder engine. The popularity will likely continue given the new, attractive design and return to quality goals General Motors must maintain if the company wants to pull out of its current bankruptcy condition.
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