Conspiracy Theory

[nards444]

Not big into these but what do you all think of GM discontinuing the Camaro/Firebird in 02? Really if you look at the sales numbers of the two combined they dont beat the mustang. Was it GM's plan to hold off on these for a few years then come out with a hit car and put themselves ahead of the competiton? Although by doing that you could take you take your self out of the pony car market and people only have a choice to go to ford. Overall I just wondering how much of this was on purpose. If you really look at they already had concept out in 2007 and probably had stuff on the drawing boards before that

[lee]

so your saying mabey they quit making these cars for 8 years so they could have a hit car for a year ?

[chain777]

How are they ahead if they don't have any sales for eight years? Coming back for a one year sales success doesn't make up for eight years of no sales. And don't take this the wrong way, I'm not implying that the Camaro's sales success is over, just that your theory doesn't make any sense.

The reason the Camaro, and the Challenger, came back is because of the success of the 2005 Mustang. They couldn't just sit back and let Ford have that market to themselves.

[SSLarry]

The muscle car market was dead in 2002. GM saw no purpose or profit in it. Then came the 'new' Mustang in 2005. GM introduced a concept in 2006 which was highly regarded. Then Chrysler dropped the hammer with the Challenger three years later. The muscle car market was back, and GM wanted in.

[All-Or-Nothing]

Originally Posted by nards444

Not big into these but what do you all think of GM discontinuing the Camaro/Firebird in 02? Really if you look at the sales numbers of the two combined they dont beat the mustang. Was it GM's plan to hold off on these for a few years then come out with a hit car and put themselves ahead of the competiton? Although by doing that you could take you take your self out of the pony car market and people only have a choice to go to ford. Overall I just wondering how much of this was on purpose. If you really look at they already had concept out in 2007 and probably had stuff on the drawing boards before that

Seriously........what you said makes NO sense at all

[nards444]

Originally Posted by All-Or-Nothing

Seriously........what you said makes NO sense at all

Thats why I said conspiracy

No really I mean the muscle car market was dying in the 2000' but part of it was due to poor design, I mean really that camaro looked like a boat and the only thing that made the TA looks good was the WS6 Package. conspiracy or no conspiracy I bet money before 2005 they drawings on the drawing board and probably scale models. Sometimes when you make things scarce or extinct then bring them back out it makes them sell like wild fire, and the Camaro will and has been more than a one hit wonder. Sure your going to have the first two years of faithful lovers coming back, but you are also bringning people over to GM who havent owned a GM car or havent owned one in a wild.

[Sax1031]

It was simple for GM in the early 2000s. They didn't make the money on the Camaro/Firebird to keep it.

[RipperFox]

<<<-----CHECK AVATAR

I am with you, and at this moment, they cannot read my mind. So no worries about them knowing you are forming a following.


oh...and the cat sent me a message, he says he doesnt like it when you touch him "in that way".

[v6sonoma]

The cars were losing money. They weren't selling what they needed to. People at the time wanted big SUV's not performance cars. The Tahoes sold like hotcakes and the 4th gens sat on lots. It's sad but true. They couldn't meet new crash standards without spending money to reengineer the car and it wasn't financially worth it. The sad thing is killing the Camaro was the (dear God ) RIGHT thing to do. But luckily it wasn't forever.

[Revo1]

Originally Posted by nards444

Thats why I said conspiracy

No really I mean the muscle car market was dying in the 2000' but part of it was due to poor design, I mean really that camaro looked like a boat and the only thing that made the TA looks good was the WS6 Package. conspiracy or no conspiracy I bet money before 2005 they drawings on the drawing board and probably scale models. Sometimes when you make things scarce or extinct then bring them back out it makes them sell like wild fire, and the Camaro will and has been more than a one hit wonder. Sure your going to have the first two years of faithful lovers coming back, but you are also bringning people over to GM who havent owned a GM car or havent owned one in a wild.

Do I have to swamp you with pictures now?

[nards444]

just find it weird they had something on the drawing boards so quick.

[Revo1]

? Gen 4 had a nine-year run... But I guess you're talking about gen 5 now. It did seem like they revived the car pretty quickly, but they did spend YEARS perfecting the design before releasing (even when Dodge's returning Challenger beat them back into the game) the car to the public. GM had it's reasons for killing the car, as sad as it was. As I understand it, GM had hoped to revitalize slipping sales numbers in 1998 with the introduction of the LS1, and even that proved only a temporary solution.

There is no doubt that, even in 2002 as the F-body was being cancelled, that GM was looking to the future, and undoubtedly knew that a triumphant return would yield good sales numbers (which, combined with a never-before-seen level of quality, it accomplished) but I would hardly go as far as to say that GM killed the Camaro just so that they could bring it back again in 2010...





Thought it was an idle threat, didn't you?

[Stormyone]

Originally Posted by nards444

just find it weird they had something on the drawing boards so quick.

So you believe it was a conspiracy... fair enough... I don't think anything posted here will persuade you differently...

[nards444]

Originally Posted by Stormyone

So you believe it was a conspiracy... fair enough... I don't think anything posted here will persuade you differently...

Like I said I dont know. I think its worth a thought and has validity. But Like you said nothing here really kills the idea either. Think about it they brought back the camaro and it has outsold the stang for how many months straight? Whens the last time the camaro out sold the stang, for that matter the F-bird and camaro together out sell the stang. Just saying doing what they did is or could be a potential strategy. Absence makes the heart grow fonder you know.