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Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28
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You are gunna say that you arent sure that teh GTO, which is 200 short of your numbers for the TA, is not a success? Then by your own admission, the Trans Am and its variatns are not a success, and are flops in the market place. But if thats the case, there must be a reason?
You are saying that despite the GTO's lack of any type of loud and brash styling, its higher price point, its heavier weight, its lack of options, or any other things you can think of, it sells about the same as the fabled Trans Am?
The Trans Am did not deliver. The 4th gen was the biggest mistake in GM's history. It sold a fraction of what its previous generations did. Even in the third gen Camaro's worst year, it sold some 90k units I belive. That still is greater then the total sold in the last year of the 4th gen.
This is going by what you are saying. It didnt deliver.
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Well you can spin it that way, both V8 cars were failures then. If the GTO was a success, they would have continued the line. Nobody just stops making a car that is in demand, that doesn't make sense. The F-body was cancelled because it wasn't making GM money. I would guess the same held true for the GTO.
http://www.allgentransams.com/produc...s/pn_home.html
http://www.camaro-registry.com/production.htm
The f-body platform (specifically pontiac's side) appears to have nosedived in the 1990 model year and never really regained the sales after that point. But in any given year the combined platforms would completely outpace the GTO by at least 5 to 1. I still maintain the GTO was a failure, good idea poorly executed. I think GM tried to cash in on a name, looked around found the holden car slapped some badges on it and the US motoring public said no thanks....not the GTO we were thinking of.
I never said the GTO needed loud and brash styling, just something a couple notches up from jellybean would have been more than enough. The CTS, the G8, the new Malibu are all very good looking GM products, but I would not say any of them are loud or brash. Just very clean and well executed designs. And just to be clear I'm not much of a Firebird/Trans Am guy, I'm definitely a Camaro guy.
Now maybe GM learned and are listening with regards to the Z28, and people will line up to buy a super top shelf Z28 at a near corvette price level. Time will tell.
This discussion has opened my eyes as to what the public is asking for. I'm just not part of that mindset. I agree that my Dad's Z28 was a stripper, but I think there are currently way more "loaded" 1969 Z28's now than ever existed in 1969. But yeah I would agree that most Z28's were nicely equipped, not stripped hotrods, but not loaded out JL8 equipped, crossrammed, gauge and console, endura bumpered, RS headlights, houndstooth deluxe interior with the tic-toc-tach etc. etc. etc. either. Time distorts memory, both good and bad.
Here's to GM making a $50k Z28 to go GT500Kr hunting.
Not the Z28 I would build, but if the public wants it and GM can sell them in sufficient quantity, then more power to them. Maybe then with all the loot they can put out 1LE version for me (and you?).
Chris