A couple of thoughts.........
We never like breaking 'bad news' - it's never our intention to upset our faithful. That said, there are times when we must.
Someone said "it's sad to see Imperial Blue Metallic go" - and they're correct.......and it was sad to see many colors go away --- over the past 100 years! I was one that loved Ash Gold in the 1968 model year. I hated that it was dropped for the 1969 model year (whoops...Fbodfather is showing his age once again.....
) -- but the sun came up each day in 1969, and 1970, and 1971........and I found myself 'taken' by Fathom Green and Hugger Orange....and Garnet Red in the 1969 model year. I was sad to see Garnet Red go away-- but again, the sun came up in 1970 -- and I found Shadow Gray and Autumn Gold.................
It would be so much easier for the Camaro team (and perhaps you, the enthusiast) if we had a dedicated Camaro Plant..........we'd have more say in just about everything within the plant..........and we wouldn't have to negotiate with other brands that are built in Oshawa......
............the problem is that we HAD a dedicated Camaro (and Firebird) plant - and THAT didn't end well, now did it?
The Reality is that this industry continues to 'fragment' - meaning that there are more and more 'segments' -- and more and more 'nameplates' - so even if the size of the 'pie' (the total number of new cars and trucks sold each year) stayed the same, the slices (each nameplate's penetration into the market) get smaller. (and the pie got much smaller back in late 2007-- and it's not growing appreciably as of yet) Sooooo......because of this, it's vital that many assembly plants take on more than one carline.......because it's the only way we can make money on some cars and trucks. (we can't afford to build cars and trucks that we lose money on anymore.....that's one of the reasons why the Camaro -- and Firebird - went away for a while....)
In the case of Oshawa - we have two final assembly lines - that share a common paint shop. We build Camaros, Regals, Equini (that's plural for Equinox) and Impali. We will now be building the XTS at Oshawa as well.
We must preserve the 'traditional' Sport Car colors such as Victory Red, IOM, and Rally Yellow for the Camaro. The problem is that those colors would not be appropriate for the Equinox and the Regal and the Impala and the XTS. (altho we DO offer VR on Impala - but it's not a big seller...) So......we must work with our other Product Teams to negotiate colors that are acceptable -- and being that there are only so many paint lines available, we sometimes lose a color -- Someone asked 'well - what's it going to be replaced with' -- and I cannot answer that question other than to say that eventually it will be replaced. No - we are not getting a 'brand new' set of colors for 2013. Rather, as always, you will see a color go away and another come back..........
and when that happens we will upset some of you.
No matter what we do.
As I've said before - If I could suddenly wave a magic wand and provide THIRTY colors for the Camaro - we would still have some infuriated that I didn't include "Palomino Ivory" or "Tripoli Turquoise" or "Sequoia Green" or "Scottish Silver."
ha! I fooled you - there was no 'scottish silver' - I snuck that one in to see if you were paying attention......
The latest news to upset some happens to be Imperial Blue Metallic.
I happen to think it's stunning with Silver Stripes......and you are correct that the 'fire' in the paint on a sunny day is something to behold........
.........but the sun will come up in 2013 (God willin' and the creek don't rise - and some of the prophets are wrong about the world ending on 12/12/11....
)
I can tell you this with absolute certainty:
EVENTUALLY all of the colors will go away.........one at a time - replaced with something else. And each time one goes away, we will have those who will mourn the loss.
Again - none of us at Team Camaro want to upset you - but unfortunately it's simply in the nature of the Camaro - a nameplate that instills such passion and love.......
No - colors are not what makes a company go Bankrupt...........and no, the Team does not have its collective head up ........OK - I won't continue that response to an earlier post...........
What IS true: The Mighty ZL1 will be worth the wait - even if it's painted scotch plaid.................