[Droopy]

Given the ever rising price of gas and the fact that SUVs and trucks are sitting on lots and their value has dropped like a house with a bad mortgage, are Chevy and Dodge too late to the game? We have been talking since the first of the year that this is 1973 all over again. With $4.50 gas in the not too distant future I really don't think Camaros or Challengers will be flying out of showrooms, especially the one's with the large hemis.

A story on CNN said that a Navigator that sold for 60K last year is now worth only mid 30's now. scary....

Thoughts?

 

[chrisW]

I think they missed the boat by about 3 years.muscle car prices are going down just like houses.the camaros and challangers are going to be low production when they first come out.big ADMs too...think of them like GT500s..then after the first year they will sit on the lots.so will all V8 cars.V6 mustangs have always been the bread and butter for Ford.the ecoboost engine will help with the 2010.One thing the camaro never had was a V6 market.who is going to buy 6 cylinder camaros and challangers?older people?young kids?young ladys? I think they will stick to mustangs..

 

[Black GT500]

Bah Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

Bah Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

Now is this just poetic justice or what!!! :lol:

 

[01GTB]

I believe while there will always be buyers with gas under $6 a gallon, there won't be enough to justify a lot of the modern muscle. I felt this day was coming as far back as 2005.

I think at $4.25 a gallon there is no coming back.

 

[Black GT500]

The next generation of muscle cars will not be internal combustion engine driven

Now having lived in the 60's and through the 70's gas crisis and seen the demise of the muscle car back then. Then having waited more than 35 years for Ford to build a true MUSCLE CAR again, You all now know why I got my GT500 when I could.

I indeed anticipated this same turn of events again, the repeat of the demise of the muscle car, just not quite this soon...

The next generation of muscle cars will not be internal combustion engine driven.
http://www.motortrend.com/features/auto_news/2007/112_news050712_electric_muscle/index.html

I believe while there will always be buyers with gas under $6 a gallon, there won't be enough to justify a lot of the modern muscle. I felt this day was coming as far back as 2005.

I think at $4.25 a gallon there is no coming back.

 

[chrisW]

A story on CNN said that a Navigator that sold for 60K last year is now worth only mid 30's now. scary....

Thoughts?

whats scary is that guy still probably owes 55,000 on that truck and owes 200,000 on a house now worth 150,000

 

[PhotoRick]

Hey Guys,
GM and Chrysler were late to the party back in the 60s and they are late again. This time it could be a disaster. The Camaro and the Challenger will be hot for a very short time but it will fade very quickly. Gas will be $5 this year. So if you want one of these, they will soon be more plentiful than 08 Bullitts are today.

The GREAT thing about your baby NOT being a daily driver ..... the price of gas does not matter.

 

[VIC-TIM]

Definitely way too late. Too much hype time and thus taking too long to actually get it out. Even with Transformers and the Camaro in there, would have had more sales if the car was out when the movie was out. Now, nobody hardly even remembers. With the price of gas and insurance combined: recipe for poor sales. They will soon be forgotten.

 

[gesner]

They are late in coming and they won't fly out of showrooms, but the Camaro and Challenger will sell for several reasons:

They will not be purchased as daily drivers (photorick)
They don't like the styling of the Mustang
The Chevy engines have more torque off idle
Many Chevrolet owners wouldn't buy a Ford under any circumstance (the same way many Ford folks feel about Chevys)

 

[Droopy]

True many will not buy Ford but now Malibus are leaving Chevy lots in droves. Unless the Camaro 6 can get more than 20 in the city they are in trouble. Likewise with the Challenger. Mustang GTs won't exactly be screaming out of the lots either. I know Dodge stated they would sell somewhere in the area of 30,000 units for the Challenger. Might have been a bit optimistic.

 

[DavidMidgley]

They are late in coming and they won't fly out of showrooms, but the Camaro and Challenger will sell for several reasons:

They will not be purchased as daily drivers (photorick)
They don't like the styling of the Mustang
The Chevy engines have more torque off idle
Many Chevrolet owners wouldn't buy a Ford under any circumstance (the same way many Ford folks feel about Chevys)

The last one is more like, they will sell as anyone that truly wants one will buy one. Then after that one (if that) year of decent sales, the Camaro and Challenger will be DOA at the dealer. Low sales, means high prices due to low volume. That or they will get shelved real quick! They maybe true collectables due to low volume. Moreso that what GM and Chrysler think or want them to be. Modern day Edsels...:shock:

And that is too bad. Chrysler and Chevy guys deserve these cars. I think that GM and Chrysler probably got them right, finally.

 

[dg517]

The last one is more like, they will sell as anyone that truly wants one will buy one. Then after that one (if that) year of decent sales, the Camaro and Challenger will be DOA at the dealer. Low sales, means high prices due to low volume. That or they will get shelved real quick! They maybe true collectables due to low volume. Moreso that what GM and Chrysler think or want them to be. Modern day Edsels...:shock:

And that is too bad. Chrysler and Chevy guys deserve these cars. I think that GM and Chrysler probably got them right, finally.

I agree...these cars should have come out when the 05 Mustang was released.....so...they are dead right outta the box..my .02...ok....

 

[BULLITT543]

I agree with many of the comments here stating that they came out too late. I think they still have a market for the hard core guys that are middleaged and have money, and have small commutes. I can't see spending 40K on a car that I can't drive becuase I am always worried how much it will cost me. I drive 100 miles each day. 100/18mpg&4.20= $23 a day just to drive a car. And that's not including all the other cost.
I am bummed. I want a new mustang, but realize it would be a stupid decision.

 

[Big Stig]

I agree with many of the comments here stating that they came out too late. I think they still have a market for the hard core guys that are middleaged and have money, and have small commutes. I can't see spending 40K on a car that I can't drive becuase I am always worried how much it will cost me. I drive 100 miles each day. 100/18mpg&4.20= $23 a day just to drive a car. And that's not including all the other cost.
I am bummed. I want a new mustang, but realize it would be a stupid decision.

Same here. If I did not work only a few miles away, I would not have bought my Bullitt. I drove about 120 mile round trip per day before the job that I have now. If I find myself with a long commute like that again, I will have to park the Bullitt during the week and by a gas sipper.

 

[Big Stig]

"buy" a gas sipper...

I need a new keyboard- the keys stick.

 

[B-Man]

I'm keeping my eyes on the Volt for a daily driver. I drive under the daily mileage limit for the plug-in usage.

I'll have a V8 for fun driving as long as I can. Reminds me of Red Barchetta by Rush. I'll sneak to my uncles farm and fire up the Bullitt after the "Motor Laws" go into effect. ;-)

 

[gesner]

The market for these cars has always been middle-aged guys with money, just check out the average age of people on this forum. Every time I go to the dragstrip the new mustang drivers are older than me (43). The younger guys are into turbo Subarus or stripped down Civics with 200HP. And look at the folks with new mustangs and all the modifications... For the price of those grill inserts you can buy a tank-full of super. It's pretty obvious that money is not a problem. When gas is $6 a gallon the Camaros will still sell.

 

[Droopy]

The market for these cars has always been middle-aged guys with money, just check out the average age of people on this forum. Every time I go to the dragstrip the new mustang drivers are older than me (43). The younger guys are into turbo Subarus or stripped down Civics with 200HP. And look at the folks with new mustangs and all the modifications... For the price of those grill inserts you can buy a tank-full of super. It's pretty obvious that money is not a problem. When gas is $6 a gallon the Camaros will still sell.

I don't think they will sell in the numbers that the Mustang has and the fact that all those people you are talking about have big SUVs and are trying to dump them for gas sippers. I live in Houston which is a major commuting city. The change in bus riders and people attempting to dump big engined vehicles is in full swing. When your gas bill doubles per week as does buying groceries, we have reached the tipping point. Heck people on here are parking their Bullitts because of gas prices.

The full effectof gas prices are a few months away. Shipping costs wil increase greatlyover the summer. Heck one example is my Fed Ex costs. It went up $10 per package in less than 3 months.

They will be able to sell some but it will not be a money maker like the Mustang has for the last few years.

 

[DavidMidgley]

I agree with Greg. They will not be the money maker that they have been the past couple of years. Ford had a good ticket to ride with the Mustang the past several years in the Mustang. But I am thinking those days are numbered. The decline in truck sales across the board of all manufacturers is saying that cow has been milked. Toyota, is moving all big truck production into one plant and is in the process of preparing to convert large car production to nil at another. Ford has changed it's income projections for the next quarter to break-even from a minimal profit projection. Even they know the parties over. And I would suspect it will get worse.:redface:

 

[Lightning]

The end of the second age of the muscle car, you all are figuring, eh?