Goodbye to a Legend? Think Again! Chevy Camaro Discontinued After 2024

It’s crazy to think this will be my last post for 2023. Thank you for the continued viewership of my regular readers, and welcome to those who have joined our space during the year. It is thanks to all of you that I am able to keep doing this and it means a lot to have so many of you visit this site. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you and your families, and I hope this holiday season is everything you want it to be. 

~~~

Some goodbyes are never final, just for a brief moment in time, and so it stands for the Chevy Camaro, with an exception of course. The Chevy Camaro as we know it, is dead. Chevrolet made the announcement that the long running pony car will be discontinued at the end of the 2024 model year. But don’t underestimate Chevrolet, they do have something up their sleeve. It is important to mention that the gas powered version (two door coupe or convertible) will be dead permanently, but the Camaro nameplate will live on. However, we have yet to see where, whether it be in movies or tv shows, that will be up to Chevrolet to decide. 

As a tribute farewell to this car, I felt like it would be best to do a final overall review of its history. See where this car really came from to be able to appreciate its final days better. So without further ado, here we go!

To begin, it is worth noting that the Chevy Camaro was created to compete directly with the Ford Mustang and was first released in 1966. At the time, Ford dominated the sports car market (during the 1960’s) and consumers were actively trying to get Chevrolet to hop on board with this too. Following its initial release into the market, the car was an instant hit with its front engine and rear-wheel drive design. This really became a big moment for Chevrolet, as they finally had created and released a sports car worthy of the classification of “American muscle”, and as you will be able to tell after reading this post, the rest really is pretty much history.

1967-1969: First Generation

Now, although the first generation Camaro was released to the market in 1966, the model year was already ahead a year to 1967. This period went on to become known as the shortest generation Camaro would see. As you’ll notice, Chevrolet messed with the design of the Camaro over the years, before getting it to look like the one we all know and love today. But I mean, sometimes things have to be changed around a couple times to know and appreciate the true value of the original look, right?

The engines saw a couple different versions between this time period, however, the most popular engine was a 230 cubic inch V6 with 140 horsepower. The most powerful? A 396 cubic inch V8 with 375 horsepower. 

For the 1968 release, the Camaro was redesigned both internally and externally. Vent windows were dropped and a new air-inlet system dubbed Astro Ventilation was added. Pointed front grilles, divided rear tail lights, oval front running lights, multi-leaf rear springs, and newly designed shock absorbers were all added. But the exterior was going to be redesigned the following year in 1969 again. This time new sheet metal was added to every aspect of the car with the exception of the hood and trunk lid. Deeper headlights and a heavy V front grille were added as well as the car was widened and lowered for this model year.

It was also during this time that Chevrolet released 2 of its rarest cars from Chevrolet’s Central Office Production Orders (COPO). The first was the COPO 9561, with only 1,000 units being produced. This model featured an L72 big-block engine that had capabilities of producing 425 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. The second was the COPO 9560, with even fewer units produced at only 69. This model featured a ZL-1 engine that produced 430 horsepower and was designed for drag racing.

1970-1981: Second Generation

The second generation Camaro lasted 11 years but this wasn’t the longest a generation lasted. During this time period, it underwent a lot of drastic changes and even came out looking like a completely different car. 

Due to stricter federal automotive regulation concerning safety, Chevrolet decided to make the following changes: 

• All cars had to have a front bumper added 
• Horsepower had to be reduced from engines 
• Catalytic convertors had to be added to exhaust systems 

A couple positive changes were made to the Camaro’s as well, with improved drivability and fuel economy numbers. For this generation, customers also had the option to add power windows and air-conditioning.

The most powerful engine to come from this generation was actually only available on the 1970 SS model that was able to produce 450 horsepower. But this didn’t last long within the 11 years of this generation and continued to drop every year, till it finally reached 185 horsepower by the end of the generation.

1982-1992: Third Generation

For the third generation Camaro, it came only in one option and I have to say this is the nicest looking version Chevrolet had released so far. It came as a hatchback coupe featuring a MacPherson strut front suspension, an aerodynamic shape, and rear coil springs. Again, transmission options were limited for this model, only coming available in a four speed manual or a three speed automatic. The most powerful engine for this generation came in the 1982 model that was fuel injected, and had a 5 litre V8 engine under the hood, making 165 horsepower. This also featured a Z28 trim level. To close out this generation, the 1992 Camaro was able to make 245 horsepower.

Fun Fact: the word Camaro was named after the French name comrade

1993-2002: Fourth Generation

The fourth generation Camaro added a revised F-body platform. It featured a new exterior design that was sleek with a more aggressive appearance and lower front end. The base model of the 1993 Camaro came in two options – a 2.4 litre V6 engine making 160 horsepower or an LT1 V8 engine with 275 horsepower. The 1998 model saw a redesign to the exterior in 2 different places – a front clip was added and the headlights were upgraded. It also gained an engine upgrade, now coming available in an LS1 V8 engine able to produce 305 horsepower. By the end of the 4th generation, the Camaro Z28 was able to make 310 horsepower while the SS model was able to make 325 horsepower.

2010-2015: Fifth Generation

The Chevrolet Camaro actually saw an eight year gap in its production run, but the gap had no effect on the popularity, only increased it if anything. It was brought back in 2009 with the design inspired by the 1969 model. Interestingly enough, the concept of the car was featured in the 2007 movie, Transformers, and fans pushed to bring this car back. In late 2009, when the 2010 model was released, fans got their way and not only did it have a new look but it was also loaded with a couple different features. 

By 2012, the Camaro saw a huge horsepower bump through the release of the Camaro ZL1 Coupe that featured a V8 engine, making an impressive 580 horsepower. Talk about speed I know. Camaro also offered a 7 litre V8 engine with capabilities of producing 505 horsepower and 481 lb-ft of torque near the end of the fifth generation. It also had a 6 speed manual transmission. In addition, the 2014 model saw another updated look with defined new front fascia and rear end.

2016-Present: Sixth Generation

The sixth generation Camaro made a name for itself right from the get go. It offered a lighter vehicle that had better fuel economy and a powerful engine option that had the ability to produce 405 horsepower on the 2016 version. For 2017, the ZL1 model saw revisions to now include a V8 engine capable of making a whopping 650 horsepower and yes, you read that right. It also came available in two different transmissions – a six speed manual or a 10 speed automatic. In 2019, the exterior was updated yet again, this time to include: a new front end, rear end, LED signature headlights, and LED tail lights.

Interestingly enough, the most popular Camaro actually was the 2020 model year SS 1LE. It features a dual mode exhaust, two piece brake rotors, magnetic ride control, and an FE4 performance suspension system. For 2021, Chevrolet continued to up the Camaro’s sports car game when they added a supercharged 6.2 litre LT4 V8 engine under the hood in the lineup, with capabilities of 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. This engine is also seen in the 2022 year model as well.

Final Thoughts

It is expected that the final sixth generation Chevy Camaro will roll off the assembly line at the Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant in Michigan in January 2024. So rest easy, and come back feeling refreshed, because I can guarantee for 2025, the design and everything to do with this car will blow your mind. Chevy knows what it’s doing, just remember to trust the process.