2009 Chevrolet Camaro to be built in Canada
General Motors has announced plans to put a car based on the Chevrolet Camaro concept into production as a 2009 model -- and this American icon, like many vehicles from American brands, will be built in Canada.
According to a report in Automotive News, the new Camaro will be built at GM's Oshawa, Ontario plant, on a line that GM was considering closing in 2008. Oshawa's Line #2, which currently builds the Buick LaCrosse/Allure and Pontiac Grand Prix, was identified as the highest-quality plant in North American in a 2005 J. D. Power and Associates study.
Workers at the plant, represented by the Canadian Auto Workers union, agreed to concessions including a minor reduction in break time in order to get the Camaro. The reduction in paid break time -- two minutes per 8-hour shift -- equates to 120 more cars assembled per month. According to Automotive News, GM will invest over $650 million in the Oshawa plant to prepare it for production of the Camaro and possibly other rear-drive GM cars.
GM's Oklahoma City plant, which formerly built the Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT, GMC Envoy XL and Isuzu Ascender SUVs and has been on permanent layoff since February 21st, is rumored to have also been under consideration for Camaro production.
The new Camaro will go on sale in the first quarter of 2009 and will offer a choice of V6 or V8 engines. Its stiffest competition will come from the Dodge Challenger, which will go on sale in 2008. -- Aaron Gold
Photo © BJ Killeen -- see BJ's pictures of the Camaro concept here and read about her sneak preview of the Challenger concept here
Comments
As always GM will be a day late and a dollar short. By the time the camaro comes out the people who would buy it will be driving challengers
This guy is off his rocker. This is the best chance for GM to revive affordable rear drive cars WITH manual transmissions. Like all daimlerchryslers off the lx(ly) platform it will share the lack of burnouts, the neutered steering, and overweight construction.
What I don’t understand is why they cancel the GTO due to lack of interest yet they think this will be a winner?
lets see.an american car built in canada,huh.
I had a 97 Z-28, and it was made in Canada. The catch phrase was something like “from the country that brought you rock and roll”. Funny - I guess the guy who wrote the ad didn’t know where the car was going to be built. I hope they do a better job on the new one than they did on the 97. It had about 4 recalls, and a host of other problems, luckily most were under warranty.
Last time I checked, Canada is part of North America. They have as much right as we do to use the term “American”. (As does Mexico, etc.)
Andre - GM doesn’t need to “revive” anything, the Mustang is already selling very well as an affordable RWD with stick. And the Challenger will be coming with a six-speed pistol-grip manual transmission, so I’m not sure why you emphasizes the Camaro having a manual. As for weight - time will tell, but I suspect that the Challenger and Camaro will have similar weights. (Both grossly overweight!)
gm are american cars there for it will be built in america. jack*** you dont know what your talkin about so dont talk you have no official proof it will be built in canada. canada sucks big **** camaros are too cool for them
[Edited for language by Cars Guide]
Very eloquently put, Elijah. Sadly, I’m afraid you’re the one who’s uninformed. A great number of American cars are actually built in Canada; I believe NAFTA rules allow these cars to be labeled as domestics, not imports.
Anyway, if you don’t think I know what I’m talking about, feel free to check out the news of the Camaro’s origins from better-informed sources such as Car and Driver, the Detroit Free Press, and Autoblog.
Ah, a true Camaro fan!
As I said - made in Canada IS “American-made”, just like made in Germany is European. Don’t blame them because the USA couldn’t come up with a good name for their residents.
The Oshawa plant #2 is one of the top plants in north america (j.d. power). The plant deserves a chance to make a high quality car.
J Kyle I never mentioned the mustang because I was talking about GM. They need to revive the rear wheel drive car in there own neck of the woods. The zeta flatform is awesome in aussieland. They make a coupe, sedan, ute(truck) combo of it that could be a legitmate lx(ly) platform fighter here in the states. All I’m saying is GM needed this shot in the arm, an affordable rear drive platform for the states.
Another kick at the can for G.M. maybe someday Toyota will buy them out then finally a great car would prevail, but then again Toyota only deals in QUALITY!!
canada licks balls eh buddy thats why ontario makes more cars then any other province or state in north america!! and by the way dave toyota isnt thhat high in quailty the camry is rated below average and the tundra has real bad problems with the 4 wheel drive systems and the drive system so learn what ur talking about… camero’s, silverados, impala’s, monte carlo, 300c, chysler minivan, ford crown vics, ford edge, honda civic, toyota camry’s… all of those cars are assembled in ONTARIO…
When will the Camero come out.
With the Gas problem Gm will need to corner the market on Muscle Cars and get good gas MPG for sure/
For one thing GM missed the boat about 3-4 years ago. With the economy and the fact that most kids DON’T want a big, gas guzzeling, weird shaped car that says “Camaro” on the side. GM has forsaken an entire generation of young (soon to be older) buyers. The old geisers are the ones buying the retro cars. The young kds want fast and furious cars. GM NEVER listened to the public and thought they were leaders (more like masters) buy building the Aztec (what a joke). GM should just die quietly and let Honda & Toyota become the next millinium companies who build cars Americans want. Buy the way, I use to work at GM and they ONLY care about getting cars out the door, no matter how many times they have to rework them internally to mask all defects. The UAW is so fat and lazy they think America owes them a living making $30-$40 per hour installing a stupid bolt! the down fall of the pityful-3 is the UAW, period.
The Camaro is a good idea. If the V6 looks the same as the V8 model and gets decent MPG, the car will be a winner. GM has a chance to do well with this car. I have always disliked GM but would consider a Camaro if it supported the Canadian economy and helped south of the border. I do enjoy the comments here about how Canada sucks. We have health care and no Creationist Museums…..I think we rule.
American muscle car made in canada? …. and you wonder why there going bankrupt!!!