Just got a note from a young fellow that is nuts about Camaros (hmmm..must be a lot of those around JUST LIKE ME!)

He was very humble...and very concerned that he has had to buy a used SS...and really is worried that this will be the last Camaro he will ever be able to buy with performance--and worse yet..it may be the last Camaro available. And you know...it really DOES bother me that I cannot talk about the future product offerings at General Motors. There are many reasons for this....one of which is that I love my job and do not want to get fired. But it occurs to me that we all need to go back in history to realize what is happening today...and so, I want to share my letter that I wrote to him .....with you, my Fcar friends.
So...here goes.

Dear ______,

Thank you for your note. While I would love to share future product information with you, I am prohibited from doing so. However, I offer you a history lesson that perhaps may have some bearing on the future. Forgive me if this is long...but I think you will see my point.

I was fortunate enough to grow up in my family's Chevy dealership....because I was born in the early 50's I was able to watch as the Camaro roared to life. I have had a love affair with it ever since...I could not be prouder of a car...(and yes, when I look into those headlights, I swear I can see a soul in there somewhere...but I digress....)

The Camaros from 1967 to 1971 were, in one word, ---awesome. (which, by the way...is way overused these days....) Muscle cars ruled the street. (My mother and father even had "big-block 427 Caprice wagons as demos...talk about 'sleepers!')

But...by 1972 the writing was on the wall....muscle cars were dying...and dying fast. By 1974, the Camaro Z28 had become a caricature of itself...and Chevy decided to retire the name. Fuel Economy and clean air were mandated by the federal government...along with new more stringent safety standards. The fun was over...there would never be another Z28 or SS...or fun cars that a guy or gal could own at a Chevy price.

Funny thing happened....

.....our engineers went to work.....

The Z28 reappeared in 1977. Not nearly as fast, but boy did it sound good..and wow..could it take the curves! And it looked GREAT!.

Fast forward to 1982....THIRD GEN. I will never forget seeing the 1982 Z28 for the first time...long before the public would see it. A gold coupe. I swear my heart stopped. I could not believe it. "IN -FRIGGIN -- CREDIBLE!!!"
Looks that would make people literally stop in the middle of the street. (trust me...I was driving one a couple of weeks prior to introduction...and I stopped a lot of traffic with the Navy Blue Z28 that I was fortunate enough to be driving) The sound? Pure Camaro..and the handling? As my friend Joey Red would say "Fuggedaboutit!" All this at a Chevy price.....people yelled "where do I sign up?"

Mid eighties...the 350 is back in Camaro..faster...handles better...IROC is using the cars for the race....all around better Camaro. And Look! A Convertible!

1993...the Automotive world is stunned. an LT1 Camaro. I remember one of the first commercials we ran that showed scenes from engineering rooms..showing computers...and what appears to be scientists working on some pretty sophisticated components.... the headline reads "What are we building here, a cruise missle?" ...then a Camaro comes out of the dark...."Introducing the new Camaro." The Z28 was rated at 275HP! (and remember, prior to 1972, horsepower numbers were published as "Gross Horsepower"...not "net" as has been the case since '72...) Unbelievable performance...incredible styling...unbelievable handling.....and the sound...let's just say I was "excited" and leave it at that....

1996...the men and women at SLP take the Camaro to the next level with the introduction of the Camaro SS...with over 300 hp....(let's hear it for Ed and Dave Hamburger...and Jeff Yachnin..and all the others too numerous to mention right now...)

1998...can it get any better than this? 320HP LS1 Gen III Aluminum V8....

2001 ...325 hp.....the SS gets 28mpg on trips...and it is a low-emissions vehicle....if you had told people this in 1991..they would have had you locked up...it would not have been imaginable....

2002...SLP introduces a 345hp package on the Camaro SS.....

So...you ask....is there hope? In 1974 we were convinced that performance was dead.

Look back at history. History has a way of repeating itself.

Performance is NOT dead at General Motors.

(can you say "Robert Lutz?")

You betcha there is hope!

Sweet Dreams!

The Fbodfather

[ 05 February 2002: Message edited by: Fbodfather ]

Thanks for sharing the letter. BTW..thanks for signing my legends poster at the Dallas Legends Tour a few months back. Enjoyed meeting you and listening to you talk Camaros.

thanks Scott. you da man.

it is a tough line to walk. thanks for showing us there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Knowing how important brand recognition is, I never had any doubt that the Camaro brand name will live. Hopefully people like Scott will be able to convince GM that it's spirit is as important as it's name!

The only thing I can really say is Thank You for my hopes and dreams. And Thank You for never giving up on us.

quote:

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Originally posted by Fbodfather:
Good evening, friends.

< snip >

Fast forward to 1982....THIRD GEN. I will never forget seeing the 1982 Z28 for the first time...long before the public would see it. A gold coupe. I swear my heart stopped. I could not believe it. "IN -FRIGGIN -- CREDIBLE!!!"
Looks that would make people literally stop in the middle of the street. (trust me...I was driving one a couple of weeks prior to introduction...and I stopped a lot of traffic with the Navy Blue Z28 that I was fortunate enough to be driving) The sound? Pure Camaro..and the handling? As my friend Joey Red would say "Fuggedaboutit!" All this at a Chevy price.....people yelled "where do I sign up?"

< snip >

Sweet Dreams!

The Fbodfather

[ 05 February 2002: Message edited by: Fbodfather ]

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Scott,
Very interesting letter. It just so happens that
I ordered a Z28 in march of 1982, in Dark Blue.

That car was a real head turner when it was new.
I drove that car until 1999 when I ordered my '00
SS. The '82 was the best handling car I'd ever
owned and when it was getting old there was no
question what I'd replace it with.

In my youth I owned a '67 Mustang with the 390. A
very fast car in a straight line, but highly unsafe
at high speeds. The '00 has more power than the
'67 and better handling and overall quality than
the '82. I now have a car that does everything well
thanks to folks like you at GM.

Keep up the good work.