Quote:
Originally Posted by motorhead
Goverment regulations change all the time if the car was worth keeping they would have. The Mustang seemed to adapt to whatever regulations came down the pike. It never left. I can tell you that if it wasn't for firebirds and trans ams the gen four car would have been gone sooner. Sure the Camaro sold more, but with firebird there was 320,257 folks that wouldn't have been buyers because the 4th gen Camaro was just too ugly. I was one of them a couple of times.
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The thing is though they couldn't keep it. The platform would have needed a redesign as by around 2005/2006 model year all passenger cars had new laws regarding airbags and such, that couldn't be implemented into that platform.
The new S197 Mustang was already in mid development with this in mind by this time, and that is Ford's halo car as they don't have a Corvette competitor, so they "had" to keep it, SUV craze or not. They started development earlier as their previous platform can trace its roots back to the 70's. The SN95 was actually in some ways related to the Fox.
Plus, Camaro sales and Firebird sales end up being one in the same. It doesn't matter if one sells a little more or a little less as they are 90% the same car and made in the same factory...so sales totals and factory shift numbers are one in the same in that regard.
Looks are subjective. As I happen to think the 4th gen Firebird, especially in Trans Am trim was way overdone. The Camaro has a cleaner, sleeker look. But that is besides the point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by motorhead
But for sure, if this car isn't profitable it will be gone. Companies aren't in business to lose money. I hope it doesn't. I love the new car and will own one when the good models come out, but face it, Camaro sales have been flat even before the gen 6 car came out. If the numbers being produced is what GM was expecting then all is right with the world.
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Of course, but the sales numbers are far from "bad", especially with a shared platform. The biggest issue I have is people (not pinpointing you) talking out of their ass as if they have any clue what GM's profit structure is on this car. Car A selling 10000 vs car B selling 5000 doesn't mean car A made more profit by a long shot...