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(Free writing)
I don't know about "the king is back", If I were king I should have been outselling the competition for the last 25 years. This is good for the Camaro this year, but the current trend has the Camaro plummeting in the market year over year. Even though the marketing guys push the idea of "Camaro sales are up 32% from last year", don't forget, last year was only an 8 month year for the Camaro (Late April-December). Sales are down by almost 25% according to the charts posted on this website year by year.
I can see a pushed Mid model redesign coming soon, Vert sales will help, but I'm afraid that a convertible Camaro will only cannibalize coupe sales and not add any additional sales beyond the impulse buyer. In fact, hold offs might be affecting coupe sales now and by April, those hold offs may hold out again (people who hold out usually hold out by nature and never commit). People who want a convertible will find a convertible regardless of the make and model.. that's the kind of people they are.
I don't think an interior adjustment that's coming in 2012 will be enough to tip the scales over 70k units a year. People see the outside first and identify the product as aged or common. As it stands now, the 2nd MY Camaro should not be selling 4-5k a month, this looks like an exhausted sales product. The Mustangs current model is "exhausted", everyone who wanted a '05-'11 Mustang bought one (around 600k) and the people trickling in are trade ins, hold offs/Do it now or never do it (like myself), hype buyers (guilty again) or impulse buyers (strike three). I know seasonal consumer patterns are going to happen, those same seasonal patterns didn't (or shouldn't) affect a new products sales from the types of buyers I posted above (compare '09 fall/winter sales with this years).
All I ask is, when and if the mid model redesign concept is raised, do not be so objective as original owners to any new ideas or different designs. I have scanned the Photoshop pages and found that everyone wants the same thing, which is the same thing they have now.... As brand enthusiast, welcome some change or the product will not last, Its going to be very challenging for GM to recreate the excitement as they did with the '10 and whats worse, they created a stubborn fanbase that hates anything other than what they currently have.... Welcome some change or 2011 will be just as bad as this year.
I have seen alot of great renditions of the current design, concepts of both Z28 and future builds, and all those concepts were shot down in a hail of negative post...
In retrospect, The Camaro will win the sales race this year but in overall sales throughout its first two MYs has me concerned. There should be no reason that a 1 1/2 year product is slumping already and this will no doubt push an exterior remodel. the sales were good vs. the Mustang, but were they as good as the '05, '06 and '07?... No.. As of now, the Camaro (20 months) has sold just as many units as the '05 Mustang did in 12 months (160k), Ford went on to duplicate those sales in '06 (150k) and '07 (132k)...
Do something GM....
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