Being old enough to remember the first of this type of "muscle car" when it came out which was actually the Ford Mustang, I can remember thinking it was cool looking but it didn't "grab" me. Vettes were actually considered a muscle car back then but they were expensive at the time; beyond the means of the average buyer.
When the Camaro debuted in 1967 I remember being stopped cold when I first saw the commercial on TV. It just reached out and grabbed me big time and the first time I actually saw one on the street I thought it was just awesome. I instantly loved it way more than the Mustang.
The Mustangs and Camaros were actually not called muscle cars but were known as "pony cars"; little brothers to the big muscle cars like the Vette. They were considered the "poor man's vette" but were actually aimed at the average buyer. It was no coincidence that Ford named theirs the Mustang and the genre was called pony cars; it was a direct throwback to the days when people owned and had horses.
A horse was a symbol of power; of freedom and individuality. There were work horses, plow horses, race horses, horses for all kinds of things but they were individual animals that had personalities and people would get very attached to them and be fiercely loyal to them. To many a horse was like part of the family.
A horse is a powerful animal; beautiful, graceful, built to run. A grand symbol of individuality and the freedom to move and run. It was very much a part of the building and spirit of America. Westerns were still very popular in the 1960's and people recognized and identified with the symbolic meaning of a "pony" car. They were wildly popular right out of the gate. It was because of the success of the Mustang that Chevy and the other companies came out with their own variations. They were symbols of American freedom and individuality.
This new Camaro is a throw back to those old days, but with a level of sophistication that's truly impressive. THIS car is clearly the vision of one designer; even though a lot of people were involved in it coming to life, you can still clearly see the overall effect of a single creative mind with a vision. This is rare in today's driven-by-polls, committee-decision making. THIS Camaro reaches out and grabs you with personality; a freedom to run, powerful, beautiful, elegant LETS GO!!! kind of image and style. It's personal in a way that most today haven't felt in a car before. It's not just a beautiful race horse, it's the king of the wild range.
The success GM is experiencing with this car is the same type of success Apple is experiencing with their products and for the same reason. Apple's products are clearly the result of a single creative mind's vision, and although he has assembled a great team to help him bring this vision to life, it's still clear when you see and touch an Apple product that this isn't a "designed by committee" result. Apple products evoke emotion and people use the same terms like "love" to describe their relationship with their computer, iPhone, iPad, etc. that Camaro owners have with this new Camaro.
If more American companies would pay attention to what's going on with Apple's success and the new Camaro's success by studying more than just the sales results, they'd get the clue as to what it was that made America great and why it still works.
Sure kids love the Camaro because of their feelings towards Bumblebee but even if the Camaro hadn't been in the Transformers movie I'm positive it would still be the runaway success it is. Because for adults, it's their horse; their freedom to run; that image of a powerful, beautiful, majestic animal running free. It's a symbol of individuality which is why people almost immediately start modding and customizing it to make their "own".
I love mine and I've been strangely reluctant and cautious about changing the appearance of the body (unlike what I've always done with my cars). I have a great respect for the way this car looks and I don't want to "insult" it by changing it's personality away from what it is. Yes I say "personality" because this car is not just an object as all of us who own one quickly find out. I'm just now starting to make small changes to the body; and I've had this since August of last year. I'm not going to do any of the really radical stuff I had planned to do before I got it. I love this car and I want to do only those things that add to the dignity and class it has. I know after seeing some of the things people have done that not everybody feels this way but a lot of people clearly do feel the same way.
Such a wonderful horse....
