The Camaro has officially gone in the Valhalla of cars. Chevrolet has built the last six-generation Camaro. The carmaker has not confirmed any successor for the Ford Mustang rival. But if it is set to return, it will probably make it as an EV.
The first sixth-generation Camaro rolled off the production line on October 26, 2015, at the Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant in Michigan. The last saw the light of day on December 14. The last convertible had been manufactured on November 22, but the coupe had missed its original deadline of early December.
Chevrolet has not confirmed an immediate successor of the model, but has not announced a complete discontinuation either. Earlier this year, Chevrolet Global Vice President Scott Bell gave hope to the model’s enthusiast: "This is not the end of the Camaro’s story,' he said back then.
To bid farewell to the iconic model, Chevrolet introduced the Collector's Edition with a limited run of only 350 units, all in Panther Black Matte paint for the range-topping variant and a serialized steering wheel badge. Panther Black Metallic Tintcoat with satin black stripes was reserved for lesser trims.
This is not the first time that the Camaro has been retired without a successor in site. Back in 2002, Chevrolet halted the production of the model due to slow sales as the market for sports coupes was degrading. The Camaro returned in 2010 with a fifth generation after an eight-year hiatus. The model’s design was halfway between retro and modern, bringing back the round headlights.
Slow sales is, once again, the reason the Camaro is losing ground in the pony car segment, as it is not able to keep up with the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger. Chevrolet only sold 24,688 examples in 2023.
As a result, General Motors is cutting 369 jobs at the Lansing Grand River Assembly plant. All workers will be offered other opportunities at GM’s centers in Michigan.
The plant will eventually be retooled for a future model that the car giant is keeping a secret for the moment. This might actually be the successor of the Camaro, which should be electric and presumably a four-door sports sedan, a move similar to what Dodge is doing with the Charger except for the extra two doors. Yet, to cut down on criticizing from the fans of the model, Dodge will also roll out ICE-powered variants.
It remains to be seen where exactly the current Camaro will remain involved in motor racing after the Garage 56’s Camaro ZL1 NASCAR Cup Series raced at Le Mans, finishing 39th overall, but winning the unofficial popularity contest. One thing is for sure: it will continue to race in the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series.
The Camaro is one of the longest-running nameplates in the industry. The first of the Camaros saw the light of day back in 1966 as a 1967 model year. The last rolled off the assembly line on December 14 and, as reported by Motor1, it is a manual transmission version. Nice way to say goodbye, Chevy Camaro!
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