• Chevrolet has produced the last gas-engine Camaro, a ZL1 1LE with manual box.
We knew it was coming, and now it has: the last gasoline-powered Chevrolet Camaro has been produced.
Not that the Camaro name is gone forever, of course. All indications are that we'll be seeing an electric Chevy Camaro in the medium term.
The last model produced is a ZL1 1LE version with manual gearbox. The car was assembled at the GM (General Motors) plant in Lansing, Michigan, last week. There are no images of the car itself, and it's unclear whether it will end up in the hands of a customer or head for the company's collection.
Said a company spokesperson about the model heading into the sunset: “Camaro is a passion product. It has developed a fan base across the world and has brought people into Chevrolet dealerships for generations. The sixth generation specifically represented athleticism and composure – exuding confidence on the road and dominance on the track.”
We knew since this past March that production of the model was going to end with the turn of the calendar to 2024. To mark the occasion, the company recently launched a collector's edition of 350 ZL1 units.
Last November, the model's last V8 engine was produced.
In Canada, especially Quebec, an announcement that Camaro production is coming to an end can only bring back bad memories. In 2002, the model, which was assembled in Quebec, was discontinued, before being brought back to the catalog for 2010.
It's interesting to note that sales of the model rose by 28.7 percent in the third quarter of this year.
What will be interesting to watch now is the timetable for the future. It's not a question of if, but when. When the company first announced the model's demise, Chevrolet's global vice-president, Scott Bell, had this to say:
"While we are not announcing an immediate successor today, rest assured that this is not the end of the Camaro story."
Until then...