As General Motors Corp. this week unveils the production version of its all-new ‘10 Chevrolet Camaro, due to go on sale in North America next year, GM Holden Ltd. staffers and Camaro enthusiasts hold their own celebration in Australia.
Although the Camaro will be built at GM’s plant in Oshawa, ON, Canada, its platform sibling, the Pontiac G8, is produced in Australia by GM Holden.
The Melbourne-based designers and engineers involved in developing the new heritage-inspired coupe staged their own reveal at GM Holden’s headquarters, giving a first glimpse Down Under of the iconic sports car that underwent much of its development and testing on Australian roads.
Joining them was V8 Supercar racing champion and Camaro enthusiast Garth Tander, who brought his ‘69 Camaro SS to Melbourne to meet the newest member of the Chevrolet family. The Melbourne-based Camaro Car Club also joined the celebration by bringing historical vehicles to the display.
GM Holden says in a statement the new Camaro exemplifies GM’s global development process, with the design concept originating in the U.S.; engineering directed by GM’s global rear-wheel-drive team in Australia; validation conducted on roads around the world; and assembly to take place in Canada.
With GM’s global RWD team based in Australia, much of the design and engineering work for the new Camaro was undertaken in Victoria, giving the all-new car an important place in Australia’s automotive history.
Ed Peper, GM North America vice president-Chevrolet, said in Detroit Tuesday the new Camaro delivers all of the things that make Chevrolet such a revered, global brand.
“It’s a sports car for a new generation of enthusiasts that doesn’t forget the heritage that helped make the original a cultural icon. That is no small feat, and it took a worldwide commitment to achieve it.”
Australian Peter Hughes, Camaro exterior design manager, says designers made sure many elements and design cues that are distinctly Camaro remained to make the new model instantly recognizable.
“We’re incredibly proud of how faithful the production version is to the original concept,” he says. “This is a 21st-century sports car that acknowledges its iconic heritage while at the same time is smoothly integrated into a very contemporary exterior.”
