Chevrolet to retire Camaro, but won’t stop racing
Despite Chevrolet announcing it will retire the Camaro next year, the new Gen3 car will continue in Supercars for at least the next three years.
Chevrolet revealed the model will “come off” its Michigan based Plant in January 2024 and has not announced when it will return, but said the ZL1 was “not the end of the Camaro’s story”.
It comes less than a fortnight after the Gen3 Chevrolet Camaro made its Supercars debut at the Newcastle 500 where Shane van Gisbergen steered it to victory on Sunday.
Van Gisbergen became the first driver to win with the Chevrolet badge since Kevin Bartlett’s triumph at Oran Park in 1982, 990 races earlier.
Shane van Gisbergen takes the chequered flag to give the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 a maiden win at Newcastle on Sunday. image: Peter Norton/Epic Sports Photography
The Camaro replaced the Holden ZB Commodore as the face of General Motors in Supercars after the former seized production in 2020.
Although the news is untimely, Supercars CEO Shane Howard has reassured fans the Camaro will continue Supercars racing until “at least the end of 2025”.
“While today’s General Motors (GM) news out of the U.S will have an impact on our racing product, we respect and acknowledge that change is sometimes inevitable,” Howard said.
“We will continue our strong partnership with GM into the future.
“GM has been an integral part of our heritage and has played a significant role in shaping Supercars to become what it is today, the greatest touring car category in the world.
“Ever since Bruce McPhee and Barry Mulholland famously won in a Holden Monaro at Bathurst in 1968, GM has helped shaped the careers of some of Australia’s and New Zealand’s greatest drivers, including Peter Brock, Mark Skaife, Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup and most recently Shane van Gisbergen.
The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 made its Supercars debut at Newcastle earlier this month. Image: Peter Norton Epic Sports Photography
“For fans, the Camaro will continue to proudly represent Chevrolet Racing in the Supercars Championship until at least the end of 2025.”
The announcement has been rumoured for years with the next Camaro likely to be electric.
The Camaro first appeared in 1966 as Chevrolet’s “pony car” and remained in production for another 36 years.
It returned in 2010 with the current sixth generation ZL1 model the latest and last of its current chapter.
However, Chevrolet vice president Scott Bell said the Camaro story is not at the end of the road with an immediate successor still unclear.
Kyle Larson delivered the Chevrolet Camaro the most recent of its four NASCAR Cup Series wins of 2023. Photo by LAT Images
“As we prepare to say goodbye to the current generation Camaro, it is difficult to overstate our gratitude to every Camaro customer, Camaro assembly line employee and race fan,” Bell said.
“While we are not announcing an immediate successor today, rest assured, this is not the end of Camaro’s story.”
Not only is the American brand represented in Supercars, it also races in NASCAR, INDYCAR, IMSA and NHARA
Chevrolet vice president Jim Campbell said its racing programs will be unaffected.
“Chevrolet’s products and our relationship with our customers benefit from motorsports,” he said.
“Our plan is to continue to compete and win at the highest levels of auto racing.”
The Chevrolet Camaros next Supercars racing appearance will be at the Australian Grand Prix on March 30-April 2.
For more of the latest motorsport news, pick up the latest issue of AUTO ACTION.
AUTO ACTION, Australia’s independent voice of motorsport
