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I was pretty certain the Camaro was dead in 2002. Here's my take on its revival:
In 2001 America's business center was attacked & destroyed. Financial markets & economy suffered as a result. Bush cut capital gains tax and had Greenspan lower interest rates for banks borrowing money from the Federal Reserve Bank. This enabled the US economy to recover from 9/11 and caused a significant upsurge in capital markets, the stock market, corporate balance sheets and consumer confidence.
Ford then came out with the retro Mustang in late 2004 and, with a booming economy, consumers snapped up the new retro Mustang at a fast clip (150,000 units/year) despite dealer markups. GM couldn't ignore this market segment (pony/muscle car) and scrambled to create a retro Mustang fighter.
In 2006 GM introduced the Camaro Concept, while the economy was still in the boom phase of the boom/bust cycle (caused by artificial money & credit expansion). It took GM 3 years to bring their concept to the marketplace. By the time they did, the bust cycle kicked-in, along with anti-business Democrats seizing power in Washington DC.
The Camaro could never be conceived and developed in today's political and economic climate. But fortunately for us, it was conceived and developed in more favorable times. This indeed might be the last and best Camaro ever built, unless Americans elect political leaders who are pro-business, pro-capitalist and pro-individualist. The resulting economic surge caused by a pro-business regime in Washington DC could result in even better Camaros such as a 2011 Camaro Z/28 with 552 horsepower or a 2012 Camaro ZL1 with 638 horsepower.
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