The Chevrolet Camaro as you know it will fall out of production next year, GM says

DETROIT – General Motors will end production of the Chevrolet Camaro in its current form early next year, as the automaker transitions to all-electric vehicles.

The Detroit automaker did not announce a replacement or next generation of the car, but it said the current sixth-generation muscle car will not be the “end of Camaro’s story.”

“While we are not announcing an immediate successor today, rest assured, this is not the end of Camaro’s story,” Chevrolet Vice President Scott Bell said in a release.

The current car entered production in late 2016 but has produced mediocre sales in a declining segment of American-made performance cars.

To commemorate the Camaro’s end of production at a GM plant in mid-Michigan in January 2024, the automaker will release a “collector’s edition” package on several 2024 Camaro models, including the top-end ZL1.

GM said more information on the collector’s edition will be announced at a later date. A company spokesman declined to disclose whether GM plans to use the Camaro name for an EV, as it looks to exclusively offer electric vehicles by 2035.

The Camaro is part of a shrinking segment of American performance vehicles with V6 and V8 engines, as automakers transition to all-electric vehicles.

Sales of the Detroit automakers’ mainstream performance cars such as the Chevrolet Corvette and Camaro, Ford Mustang, and Dodge muscle cars peaked at more than 394,000 vehicles in 2015, according to industry researcher Edmunds. Sales of the cars have declined since, including a nearly 50% drop for two-door coupes such as the Challenger, Camaro and Mustang from that peak to July 2022.

Many of the vehicles have evolved to offer smaller engines with less power, but they can still carry a stigma as noisy, gas-guzzling cars. There’s also increased competition from automakers outside Detroit, including EV makers; a move by consumers away from cars to more practical crossovers; and a potential change in performance culture.