Jeremiah 29:11

Well we knew it was late and introduced a year too early.

Camaro is late to the pony party

By Martin Zimmerman

Los Angeles Times

The new Chevy Camaro would seem to have everything going for it: a storied tradition, a built-in fan base, even a starring role in a blockbuster movie.

But timing is everything. And in that regard, the Camaro can't seem to get its act together.

General Motors expects to have the new Camaro in dealer showrooms in the first quarter of 2009. That would be three years after a Camaro concept car was unveiled — and well behind retro rivals such as the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger.

"I honestly don't understand what they're waiting for," said Dick Guldstrand of Burbank, Calif.-based Guldstrand Motor Sports.

Versions seen in the interim have all been concepts, including the yellow-and-black Camaro that starred in last summer's "Transformers."

GM knows Camaro fans are impatient. Designing the car on a new rear-wheel-drive platform — rather than using an existing automotive architecture as did Ford and Chrysler — is the main reason for the long lead time, GM spokeswoman Wendy Clark said.

"Maybe we showed the concept a little early," she said. "I know it feels like a long time. But it will be worth the wait."

Or will GM miss the "sweet spot" of the muscle-car rebirth? The trend began when the Mustang was redesigned for 2005. (And it's getting a sleek update for 2009, lapping the Camaro.) The Mustang's vintage look was a big hit and happened as muscle cars of the late '60s and early '70s became the new stars of the collector car circuit, with extremely rare and well-preserved models selling for millions of dollars.

The Camaro concepts seen so far have strong echoes of the 1969 model, considered by many to be the ultimate expression of the car.

"If you're not into it, it's hard to explain," said Los Angeles attorney Barry Freeman, 69, who owns two vintage Camaros. "It's a seduction that people of my generation have never escaped from, nor do I want to."

The first muscle cars were killed off in the 1970s by high gasoline prices, a weakening economy, new federal regulations and rising insurance rates. Now, those same factors are threatening to choke off the comeback before the new Camaro even reaches dealers.

"It's a tough time to be introducing cars like the Challenger and the Camaro," said Karl Brauer, top editor at auto site Edmunds.com. He noted that Mustang sales began to slide last year.

"The number of muscle cars in the market is a good barometer of how well things are going in the economy, and these cars are late getting to the party."

New fleet fuel economy standards Congress passed in December will make it tougher for automakers to justify selling big-engined cars.

The darkening outlook has squelched rumors that other muscle icons such as the Pontiac Firebird were poised for a comeback, said Brauer.

Auto executives remain optimistic that the boomers who bought muscle cars four decades ago as teenagers are now liquid enough to buy the new tire-smokers no matter what.

"The V-8 is typically a third car, and that's why I believe it's immune to fuel prices," said Robert Parker, marketing manager for Ford. "People want to take it out on weekends or to special events."

GM also points out that the Camaro will be available in a more fuel-efficient six-cylinder version, as well as a V-8.

And high-performance variants such as the Challenger SRT8 and the Shelby GT500 Mustang generate buzz and pull in buyers for other cars.

"It gets people into the showroom again," said muscle-car expert and author Colin Comer, "and that's what the automakers need."