GM says production of Chevrolet Camaro will end next year

DETROIT – General Motors will end production of the Chevrolet Camaro in its current form early next year when the automaker switches to all-electric vehicles.

The Detroit automaker has not announced a replacement or the next generation of the car, but said the current sixth-generation muscle car will not be “the end of the Camaro story”.

“While we are not announcing an immediate successor today, rest assured this is not the end of the Camaro story,” Chevrolet Vice President Scott Bell said in a press release.

The current vehicle entered production in late 2016 but has posted mediocre sales in the shrinking American-made high-performance segment.

To mark the end of Camaro production at GM’s Michigan plant in January 2024, the automaker will release a “collector’s edition” package for several 2024 Camaro models, including the top-of-the-line ZL1.

GM has revealed that more information about the Collector’s Edition will be announced at a later date. A company spokesperson declined to say whether GM plans to use the Camaro name for an electric vehicle, as the company intends to offer exclusively electric vehicles by 2035.

The Camaro is part of a shrinking segment of US V6 and V8 vehicles as automakers move to all-electric vehicles.

According to industry researcher Edmunds, sales of major Detroit automakers’ sports cars such as the Chevrolet Corvette and Camaro, Ford Mustang and Dodge muscle cars peaked at more than 394,000 vehicles in 2015. Since then, car sales have declined, including a nearly 50% drop for two-door coupes like the Challenger, Camaro and Mustang from that peak to July 2022.

Many of the vehicles have evolved to offer smaller engines with less power, but they may still carry the stigma of being noisy, gas-hungry cars. Competition from automakers outside of Detroit has also intensified, including electric vehicle manufacturers; consumer shift from cars to more practical crossovers; and potential change in performance culture.