I've posted this in a few threads, and never got an answer. For all I know, there may not be an answer but here goes:

Is there any truth to the rumor of the CAW having exclusive rights to build the Camaro?

This rumor has floated around this, and other message boards for quite a while. Was GM stupid enough to give them this right? And if they did, how long do they have this right? Is this normal practice in the automotive industry, to give a particular union or plant the exclusive rights to build a certain car?

I actually hope that they did do this. I gives me hope that this is the reason for the 'gag order' on this car. I mean otherwise wouldn't they just tell us the car is dead or that they are going to make another car? Why would they lead us on if they weren't going to make another car? Why would they just make us mad for no reason?

Hopefully deep in the bowels of GM in a secret design studio, the new Camaro is being designed as we speak! One can hope!

 

General Motors, and no one else holds the copyright to the Camaro name.

Also, any agreement GM makes in the negotiations of contracts is made known to all union members (they are the ones who vote on it, so it's safe to say they know what they're voting on).

No telling what's the reason behind the gag order, but I suspect in this instance, it does tie in to the reasons for closing St Therese and definately not because of GM wanting to spring some "surprise" on Camaro fans (note, the far more important & profitable Corvette has no similar order).

Camaro's demise was planned since '98, no new "affordable" RWD chassis was developed, and GM North America simply has nothing to build a new one on (the Sigma 'floorpan' and most components...for now...are a Cadillac exclusive). Now that GM is developing a new "volume" RWD chassis, I'm betting Camaro will be back after Chevy & Pontiac get their sport sedans & coupes.

 

.....this is more the stufff of rumor, innuendo and conjecture, bordering on Urban Legend than fact.....

I truly cannot imagine a situation that would have GM putting control over a trademarked name in the hands of others.......

That being said, I can imagine a situation that would include a package of incentives given to GM to bring the f-body assembly to the St. Therese plant that would commit GM to the plant for a period of time and not allow the switching of location unless the model was cancelled.

I must repeat....this is just my $0.02 and not based on anything else..........

As far as the "gag order"...this I find much more intriguing........again, no-one has confirmed this, but I have had sources say that some had lost their jobs over loose lips......but this may be more related to keeping word on future products quiet as a company rule...........basically, I feel that the reason we don't hear rumors is more to do with the fact that their isn't anything to talk about (read: no immediate plans to build another Camaro) than a real gag order.

Just my $0.02...........

 

See, that's what I'm worried about, there is no gag order because there is no Camaro. But if there are no plans for the car, why not just tell us instead of giving us the 'no comment' or the 'I can't speak about future product' lines? Why would they lead us on? If it's dead, tell us so we can know and get over it instead of doing what we are doing here, wondering what's going on. It just makes me mad and confused. Seems to me that GM really don't care about their customers, or at least this part of their customer base. It just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me!

Mark me as

 

Mark me as too.
But since they are leading us on, then I have to feel like they do have something planned, I'm just worried that its something that I wont like.

 

Exactly. Thats why to me there is something more than we know going on. What exactly that is, who knows. I mean guionM and others are always reporting information about other cars or features not out yet. I don't think GM is that secretive. We've heard news about the C6, possible Chevelle SS, and things like that executives and sources have let out, sometimes unknowingly. But, there is absolutly nothing, and I mean nothing about the Camaro anymore and they WILL NOT talk about the car in any detail, or give any yes or no answers. There has to be a reason why they refuse to let the public have any kind of information about the car besides the "We have no plans right now," then "We're looking for a chassis for the next Camaro," the "We realize there is a market for these cars," "The car is on hiatus," or RP's "Keep a look out" and hints. If you put all that together either they are BSing, or like MO, there is something more to it all.

 

.....doesn't know what to do with the Camaro and that's mostly due to it being sooooooo far down the list of priorities right now.

I honestly believe (but have no other indicators) that we'll see the Camaro again......it's just that it may be quite a few years from now........so there's really nothing to talk about........ at least for the foreseeable future.....

 

They could still let us know.

 

Doug & some of you others can back me up on this, but Bob Lutz did begin some preliminary designs of new Camaro ideas last fall, and "redplanet" about a year or so ago mentioned a meeting in which there was debate over keeping t-tops on a potential 5th gen or not. If I'm not mistaken, it was the result of a poll someone here took on the subject.

Though no one I know says there is a Camaro under development (one went so far as to say that anyone who says they know what's going on with "that car" is lying), most all believe that the most likely timeframe is 2006-2007 because of development times, and when they expect new RWD sedans to be in production.

Just a wild guess here (no one's told me anything, so this is just my guess), given that GM seems to take about 3 years minimum to take an idea from concept to reality, I'd bet we'll see something this auto season that is, at least, a design idea for a 5th gen Camaro. It may be hidden as something else (even a lowslung, high performance sedan), but I'd bet a beer on some design idea put out for reactions.

If there isn't, then I'd start to get a little worried. On the plus side, there seems to be concepts this season whose aim is demonstrate GMs return not only to cars, but to performance cars.

Late to the party, but it sounds really promising. Lutz is really pushing people to go to the Detroit show next year..... he NEVER did that when he was at Chrysler!

 

I agree with the whole thing. I wish we could just get a solid, definte answer. Yes, Camaro will be back, or No, Camaro will not be back. That way I could either know what I was waiting and saving for. If they do bring Camaro back, I will save for a new one. If not, I will probably just keep buying used ones til they get too old then either a GTO or vette. I can't stand not knowing things, and I hate playing games. GM, this is not a game. Real peopel with real feelings and real emotions about this car are in play here, and it's not right to toy with us. TELL us what we NEED to hear!!!!

 

i've been holding off on extra spending, just in case

 

It's possible that there are no plans to bring out a new camaro, none at all. This doesn't mean that there won't ever be any plans, just not right now. Rather than make such a direct statement, GM might choose to say nothing. In this way, they keep their most brand loyal, emotional performance fans in the gm fold, rather than watch them flock to the competition. It's a cynical viewpoint, but possible.

 

Hell,even if they had a concept car built, it would still take at least 2 years before it even came out, and we know how many concepts they DON"T build.

 

This is the only reason I can figure of them not actually working on something, and then not telling us. But to me, if the Camaro is dead, it looks like GM would tell us and try to get us to buy something else, like maybe a GTO. Maybe they are waiting until it comes out to tell us the Camaro is dead. I just wish they would tell us that yes, they are going to make a Camaro in the future, even if they don't know exactly when, or no, there will never be another Camaro. They sorta did that when they announce that the car was on 'hiatus' instead of discontinued, but then everything goes completly silent. I think they should at least leak something out, to keep the home fires burning!

 

The concept of this Gag Order so intrigued me that I've gone back over every shred of information, bit and pieces of e-mails, conversations etc... to come to the following conclusions.
Others here have also mentioned parts of these conclusions.

Here's some highlights....in no particular order:

--Lutz tells the media that there is a Camaro in the future.....and then retracts it about two weeks later.

--Ritter tells several journalists and dealers that there is a future Camaro....and then retracts the statement about 20 days later.

--Reuss tells Automotive News that his group is working on a Camaro replacement....and then denies it about a week and a half later.

--Moss talks about the next gen Camaro...and then denies it later.

--Red Planet tells people that he cannot talk about the 5th gen....yet no-one believes him ...........

We've discussed ad nauseum the concept of GM somehow signing over the rights to their copyrights namesake, Camaro so that they are restricted from building the car elsewhere......but wouldn't they also have to sign over ALL of the other f-body monikers too? Not very likely........not gonna' happen.

I'm now 85%+ convinced that my comment earlier in this thread (and posted a few times before....by others too).......

....is very, very close to the truth.

I can only imagine the wrath that would be suffered (I told you some had already lost their jobs!) by anyone at GM that would cause GM to be square in the crosshairs of the Labor Relations Board, the CAW and even some spill over to the UAW...if what I have gleaned is correct.

What else could cause even Lutz himself to retract what would otherwise be a beacon of hope for some of GM's most faithfull enthusiasts?

I'll ask all of you to please consider this and know that I didn't just pull this out of my @$$ and let's call off the dogs and drop the ram rods that we've tried to beat down GM's door with to get that small crumb of hope.

I now am nearly convinced that the main reason that we have not been told more is they CAN'T!

I also now believe that we might best consider to be careful what we ask for.....to beg, demand, contrive and try to beat an answer out of GM could be extremely counter-productive.

NO-one wants a major labor revolt at this delicate time for our economy or GM's attempt to recover from the Zarrella dark days.

I hope too that no-one thinks that I am trying to grandstand, one-up, brag or pretend to be arrogant enough to blow smoke up your collective @$$e$....I assure you nothing could be further from the truth. I didn't make this stuff up. Have a look back at everything you've read from the all the sources we have and see if you don't agree.

I know this all sounds too James Bond.....too over the top...too simplistic, but sometimes the truth is right there and you just need to clear out the smoke and see the simple facts.

Now is a time for us to be patient and look foward to the possibility that, as Red Planet has told us "Performance is not dead at GM" and comments like "Keep the Faith" just might be all that he / they can share with us, again as he's said before "In time we will all understand what is happening and the reasons behind it".

I also know for a fact that the Camaro has some very big fans in very high places at GM......but you can't turn a ship as large as GM around on a dime and you have to do the best with the mess that your predecessors left you with.......and the pennies the bean counters let you play with.....

Doesn't mean that we can't keep adding our $0.02 worth!!

I now have been given a renewed hope that we will get our 5th gen...............................in all due time......