General Motors makes it official; Production of the New Camaro goes to the GM plant in Oshawa

(Photo: Kevin 'Crash' Corrigan, Auto123.com)

Car companies like to shout loudly when they have good news.

An all new Camaro, based on the hugely popular Camaro Concept car, that's good news.

Now they tell us that the new Camaro is going to be built in their award winning plant in Oshawa, Ontario. That is great news!

The announcement was made inside the plant itself alongside a working production line. A stage had been prepared and in front of it, the now familiar shape of the Camaro Concept vehicle was instantly recognizable under a huge draped cloth. Members of the media were out in droves and when the covering finally came off the vehicle, the camera flashes were enough to blind people.

(Photo: Kevin 'Crash' Corrigan, Auto123.com)

Of course, wherever there's news, there's media and where there's media, there's important people with important things to say. Each speaker arrived riding in a classic Camaro. These stunning vehicles were provided and driven by members of the Ontario Camaro Club.

As each speaker took to the stage, it became clear that the decision to produce the new Camaro in Oshawa had taken a lot of serious negotiating and that there had been a lot of people involved.

Arturo Elias, President of GM Canada, called it "a great day for Oshawa".

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty praised the work of everyone involved in putting this together.

Buzz Hargrove, President of the Canadian Auto Workers Union said that the news was "inspiring for all the GM workers present".

(Photo: Kevin 'Crash' Corrigan, Auto123.com)

There was a good reason for Buzz saying this. As all this took place, the assembly lines around us ground to a halt and the GM workers were invited to join in the good news, and rightly so. Every one of them should feel proud of the fact that this plant has been chosen to be the home of the new Camaro.

Production will start at the end of 2008, and the car will be in dealerships in the first quarter of 2009.

The Oshawa GM plants are renowned for their quality output and for their workforce. In fact, the Oshawa plants have won the gold JD Power award for initial quality in North and South America four out of the last five years.

(Photo: Kevin 'Crash' Corrigan, Auto123.com)

I spoke to several GM employees during the day but something that one of them said summed it all up for me. He said, "When my kid gets excited as a new Camaro drives by, I'll be able to say, I built that, son".