Corvette and Camaro SS soon to be dead?
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Registered User
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 470
From: Wichita, KS
Corvette and Camaro SS soon to be dead?
http://autos.aol.com/article/car-new...se/20090429001
At least according to this journalist, that may be the case. With the government having a controlling stake at GM and the large 'green' initiatives taken by the current administration we may see the death of performance oriented cars being produced by GM and Chrysler.
At least according to this journalist, that may be the case. With the government having a controlling stake at GM and the large 'green' initiatives taken by the current administration we may see the death of performance oriented cars being produced by GM and Chrysler.
Bureaucrats have little use for performance-oriented V-8 powered cars, so don't expect cars like the Chevy Corvette, Dodge Viper, Chevrolet Camaro SS, or Dodge Challenger R/T to survive long term. Their survival is no longer tied to customer demand, but to the demands of the government that now controls the product portfolios and development dollars at GM and Chrysler. Recently, GM announced it was killing its Pontiac brand, a concept that seemed to define performance all by itself some decades ago. Now that brand is gone.
Ford Motor Company will also likely be affected. New emissions regulations may keep future V-8 editions of the Mustang in the barn.
According to John Wolkonowicz, Senior Analyst at HIS Global Insight, "With 'the presidents' plan, everything changes in the domestic automotive world. The government will be able to dictate what General Motors and Chrysler can sell. Washington believes it knows what Americans should drive, and this bail out gives them the means to dramatically change the market." Wolkonowicz sees the potential for a significant narrowing of choice in the automotive market. He says, "With the power given them by the bail out, the government can simply mandate certain classes of cars and trucks out of existence, regardless of whether they are popular with American drivers or not."
Ford Motor Company will also likely be affected. New emissions regulations may keep future V-8 editions of the Mustang in the barn.
According to John Wolkonowicz, Senior Analyst at HIS Global Insight, "With 'the presidents' plan, everything changes in the domestic automotive world. The government will be able to dictate what General Motors and Chrysler can sell. Washington believes it knows what Americans should drive, and this bail out gives them the means to dramatically change the market." Wolkonowicz sees the potential for a significant narrowing of choice in the automotive market. He says, "With the power given them by the bail out, the government can simply mandate certain classes of cars and trucks out of existence, regardless of whether they are popular with American drivers or not."
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 16,176
From: Chicagoland IL
Have no doubts, there are those within the government who see an opportunity to not just influence - but dictate which products GM and Chrysler build.
The current internal debate, relates to the fact that the products these government activists want GM and Chrysler to build, are not really what the American consumers want to buy, therefore making GM and Chrysler even more dependant on the government to survive. I guess it worked for Volga -- huh?
What a vicious circle. I hope that mid-term elections in 18 months, can send a signal to some of these socialists currently calling the shots.
I also hope that Ford can keep out of the clutches of government control.
The current internal debate, relates to the fact that the products these government activists want GM and Chrysler to build, are not really what the American consumers want to buy, therefore making GM and Chrysler even more dependant on the government to survive. I guess it worked for Volga -- huh?
What a vicious circle. I hope that mid-term elections in 18 months, can send a signal to some of these socialists currently calling the shots.
I also hope that Ford can keep out of the clutches of government control.
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 9,705
From: Oakland, California
Let's kill enthusiast driven products like the Corvette and Camaro SS who have proved time and time again that no matter what the economy is doing they will continue to sell day in and day out because consumers will always want them.
Sure, that makes perfectly good sense... in backward-land!
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 6,165
From: Sterling Heights, MI
I'd say it's all idle speculation at this point. This writer is laying out a worst-case doomsday scenario for enthusiasts.
Muscle Cars were supposed to be dead after 1970 too. For as many wacked-out environmentalists as there may be on the Hill, there are at least as many who recognize the importance of profit over ideology. I worry about a lot of what our gov't is doing these days, but dictating product plans isn't one of them - yet.
Muscle Cars were supposed to be dead after 1970 too. For as many wacked-out environmentalists as there may be on the Hill, there are at least as many who recognize the importance of profit over ideology. I worry about a lot of what our gov't is doing these days, but dictating product plans isn't one of them - yet.
Last edited by Z28Wilson; Apr 29, 2009 at 12:43 PM.
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Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 10,285
From: Albany, NY
At the end of the day profit wins, neither car is going anywhere while gas is $2 a gallon. By 2015 the world could be a different place. The government would be wise not to ignore peak oil, that problem isn't too many years away. It would be nice to see GM and Chrysler one up Toyota in a world on $6+ gasoline.
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 9,705
From: Oakland, California
What gets me is the author is considered an "enthusiast"...
http://www.thecarconnection.com/author/10001059_rex-roy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Roy
http://www.thecarconnection.com/author/10001059_rex-roy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Roy
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,496
From: Roseville, MI, USA
The UAW will though.
Hello job creation in the good ol' USA! Time to bring some of those jobs back home and with the UAW and Treasury Department owning 85% of the company expect some pretty significant future manufacturing changes.
Hello job creation in the good ol' USA! Time to bring some of those jobs back home and with the UAW and Treasury Department owning 85% of the company expect some pretty significant future manufacturing changes.
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,448
From: Irving, TX
Besides, the UAW will eventually want to sell the shares to fund VEBA. I don't think that after the gov't sells its shares, that the UAW will have controlling interest. Talk about anti trust if the union owns most of the company. That would surely collapse and end in chapter 7.
