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Published Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009 | 8:47 p.m.
Updated Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009 | 8:53 p.m.
In a step that I hope will eventually lead to the "pony cars" coming to Sprint Cup racing, this week Ford and Roush Fenway Racing unveiled the Mustang that will be used next year in the Nationwide Series.
Dodge will introduce the Challenger to the Nationwide Series and Toyota, which doesn’t have a "pony car" in its lineup, will stick with the Camry.
So where’s the Chevrolet Camaro? Unfortunately, Chevrolet has made the decision to stick with the Impala. Does the struggling manufacturer think it can sell more Impalas than Camaros by sticking with the sedan nameplate? Maybe.
Look, I understand that GM needs to concentrate on strategies that sell the highest number of vehicles, but what about the excitement factor that comes from using a vehicle like the Camaro? I bet that using the new Chevy "pony car" in the Nationwide Series would create more buzz about Chevrolet’s products than the continued use of the Impala. And what about competition? Since Chrysler and Ford are entering their "pony cars," wouldn’t it make sense for Chevy to also reap the promotional benefits that a presence in the Nationwide Series can offer?
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The Mustang, Challenger and Camaro are brands that provoke an emotional response from consumers. They are names that command attention based on their reputations and good looks. Ford and Dodge are smart to capitalize on that by garnering more attention for their products by using these brands in NASCAR. My mother owned a 1986 Mustang. Mechanically it was a GT, but it had the LX notchback body. To this day she still gets excited when she sees a new Mustang on the road.
For any type of product that kind of response is priceless. Face it, using the sedan nameplates just doesn’t elicit the same response. When was the last time you heard a fan say they’re running out to buy a Ford Fusion, Chevy Impala or Toyota Camry because they’re used in Cup racing?
Here’s a story from CNBC.com about Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s marketability.
When has GM done *anything* that makes sense? The company is practically trying to self destruct.
Continuing to use the Impala makes no sense. This is a decision that GM will regret.
obama probably said no...
Government Motors is why.
Back when I was 25, just after the invention of the horseless carriage, I was on my way to Australia by passenger liner. In San Francisco I watched as a 1968 396 ci Chevelle was loaded aboard. A couple of weeks later, while walking the main street of Aukland, New Zealand, (during the day that the ship was stopped there) I heard the sound that was so American that it made me shiver in this town of cars that really looked like an old movie. There was not a car present on this street that didn't have a split windshield. Well you guessed it, here comes the Chevelle, winding through the gears, right up this street, looking good, looking fast..........except he was on the wrong side of the road! Yeh, they drive on the funny side in New Zealand. Made me proud. I love 'Pony cars!' Bring it on!!
did I leave the iron on?
re: earnhardt jr's marketability. his dad was a hack. he won when the sport accepted him taking out whoever was in front of him. once they didn't let him do that anymore he couldn't win. jr's a nice kid but doesn't have any talent, and i'm sure that reality is setting in with him. maybe a year or two more and he'll move to strictly ownership. the game's been reinvented and the earnhardts could never play in the current game. look at the petty's while you're at it, pathetic.
If Chevy wants to get back to the glory days of the manufacturer, the Camaro in NASCAR is a step in the right direction. No one can be sure that the move by Ford and Dodge will benefit them, and I think that Chevy is waiting, and instead of spending millions on R&D to develop the new race car, they want to see what Ford and Dodge gain. On top of that, if they do choose to introduce the Camaro, by waiting a year they will be doing it by themselves, and get all the attention instead of sharing it with the other two manufacturers like they would be if they introduced it at the same time.