At 9:04 am on August 27, 2002, the last 4th gen Camaro and Firebird rolled off the assembly line at Ste. Therese, Quebec.

The VINs were 22172466 and 22172467..........

It was a very bad day for a lot of people --
........................esp. the proud men and women who built them.



I'll never forget that day because it was the day that my family buried a favorite uncle who was a mentor to me.......

.........and the cars that I dearly loved went on hiatus.


I think that some of you may remember that day as well.


There were some that declared the Camaro dead.......forever.

Others - like you -- kept the faith.



Fast forward to January 9, 2006.
Camaro enthusiasts rejoiced when the Silver Concept made its way from behind the stage at Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan.........and as anyone who was actually in the Chevy Exhibit will tell you -- the crowd went nuts.

I got many emails that week -- a few were not favorable -- but at least 99% were - I'll never forget what one person wrote to me:

"......Mr. Settlemire -- the beauty of what I witnessed today brought me to my knees....." I do know this: there were a lot of wet eyes.....



There were some that said the Camaro would never come back.

Others - like you -- kept the faith.



Fast forward to August of 2006 -- when Rick Wagoner and Ed Peper held simultaneous news conferences to announce to the world that the Camaro would, indeed be back -- and that we'd build it for sale in the early part of 2009. Many of you were present at the GM Tech Center to watch the Silver concept roll up for the announcement -- surrounded by many historic Camaros.



There were some that said "The Camaro will never look like that -- it will look completely different........"

Others - like you -- kept the faith.




And then the rumors started........

.....and then the pictures leaked.........

.........and the first picture to leak was of a white IVER in a garage .....a very unflattering picture.........



There were some that said "SEE!!!....a horrible looking car! It's fat....it does not look like the concept car in the least!....."

Others - like you -- kept the faith and said "I'll wait to see it in person...."




And then more information leaked out........and then a few saw the new Camaro in person -- and the media are saying great things about the V6....

And still a few have negative things to say about the pictures they're seeing -- or jumping to conclusions after hearing rumors.




Others - like you -- continue to keep the faith.



Yes -- it's been a tough, emotional 6 years..........

........but I can hardly wait to see the faces and expressions of those of you making your way to Indy in September --

To those of you who have kept the faith - I thank you from the bottom of my bow-tie shaped heart.

YOU are the ones to whom we dedicate this new Camaro!
__________________

 

I wish I could make it to Indy.All I know is this time next year I will be driving my new RS/SS and people like you Scott made my dream possible!

 

Thank You!

 

 

can't wait for Indy

 

I so wish i could go to indy.. gosh i really hate im gonna miss it.

 

Thanks Scott! Can not wait to drive into INDY!!!

 

im sorry to hear about your uncle.

 

As the one that created this smiley:



I think I can safely count myself among those that kept the faith.

 

Thank You!

 

September 19th? I'll consider it a 2 day late birthday present from Chevrolet. To those who are making it happen, thank you. I cannot wait to get behind the wheel of one of these cars.

 

Great post, Scott.

I always like it when I read a thread that inspires a good entry in my blog...

Six Years of Never Saying Never

Check it out.

 

This is going to be the BEST Camaro EVER!!!!! I just know it. Thank you Scott
for ALL of your help with this vehicle and with the information you provide to this site.

 

Sept. 19th is my birthday ...... it will be my 35th ......But I'll be in INDY! .......For my birthday maybe Scott will give me a ride in one of the new Camaros that will be there., please.....

Can't wait for Indy!!!

On a personal note, Scott is been a long road with many ups and downs in the past 6 years. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to have kept my faith very long after 2002. But you being here and at all the shows and in Bowling Green really made a difference............

Thanks for being there.

 

It's a 2 way street. THANK YOU to you guys that made the car happen, and made it the best it possibly could, given the circumstances. A lot has changed in the automotive world in 6 years, but it will certainly be nice to have Camaros in Chevrolet showrooms once again.