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Wagoner scrapped original Camaro at last minute.

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Old 01-14-2006 | 03:33 PM
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Wagoner scrapped original Camaro at last minute.

Sorry if you've heard about this before, but I couldn't find anything in the threads on it.

GM chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner scrapped the original Camaro that was supposed to be destined to launch at the NAIAS.

Autoblog:

Apparently, the NAIAS showstopper was originally destined to be even more of a throwback than it is, but a last-minute Wagoner walkthrough nixed a finished original for mining the nameplate's past a little too closely.

A second design team was brought in under GM's Ed Welburn (VP of global design), and the two combined to create the design that sallied forth earlier this week to great acclaim in Detroit.

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/01/14/d...ncy-reworking/
Anyone know more about this? I'd really like to see a drawing or prototype of the original Camaro concept that was thrown out.
Old 01-14-2006 | 03:39 PM
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Re: Wagoner scrapped original Camaro at last minute.

Interesting. Apparently for everyone that is crying the concept is "too retro", we almost got a carbon copy of a '69 Camaro in the new Challenger mold. Something tells me I like the way it is now better. Thanks Rick!
Old 01-14-2006 | 03:45 PM
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Re: Wagoner scrapped original Camaro at last minute.

very intersting indeed.


on a side note. the concept, to me, looked alot like Chris Pawel's drawing from the insider hints that were at the clinic a few years back.

i'm curious to see what the other one looked liked.
Old 01-14-2006 | 03:54 PM
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Re: Wagoner scrapped original Camaro at last minute.

Very interesting. Well, I think they took a step in the right direction at least. I bet the "original" concept had the '69 wheel well countour lines. Maybe in the production model, they will dial the retro design back a notch more, especially after seeing the Challenger.
Old 01-14-2006 | 04:01 PM
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Re: Wagoner scrapped original Camaro at last minute.

Originally Posted by SNEAKY NEIL
Maybe in the production model, they will dial the retro design back a notch more, especially after seeing the Challenger.
I'd like to think so, but then again I'm not sure it'd make enough of a difference. Going 'less backwards' is NOT the same as 'going forward'.

I do find it interesting that Wagoner might have ordered such a change. I was under the impression that he usually left product decisions to the car guys like Lutz.
Old 01-14-2006 | 06:15 PM
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Re: Wagoner scrapped original Camaro at last minute.

Originally Posted by R377
I do find it interesting that Wagoner might have ordered such a change. I was under the impression that he usually left product decisions to the car guys like Lutz.
And the funny thing is, Bob Lutz is notoriously famous for scrapping full scale proposals at the very last minute. This really has my curiousity running: just how bad (or different) was the original design that upper floor management had to step in and send it off the floor?
Old 01-15-2006 | 12:31 AM
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Re: Wagoner scrapped original Camaro at last minute.

So how old was the leaked design study and how much different from this was it really? I honestly can't remember, but don't think it was radically different.
Old 01-15-2006 | 01:28 AM
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Re: Wagoner scrapped original Camaro at last minute.

I do remember some people telling me in probaly the first quarter of 05 that they were "concerned" about how retro it was. Untill I read this...I had been confused since the show because the concept is not Retro at all. Way to go Wagoner!
Old 01-15-2006 | 02:06 AM
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Re: Wagoner scrapped original Camaro at last minute.

I don't recall this at all.

There was another design proposal that was clinic'd about a year and a half ago.......went off the charts......the problem is that it was too big.....esp. after adding 5mph bumpers........
Old 01-15-2006 | 02:09 AM
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Re: Wagoner scrapped original Camaro at last minute.

There WAS another Camaro Concept.......but it was killed at the last minute......and suddenly, we developed the Bel Air Concept in it's place......

There were unsolved issues surrounding the nameplate......none of which had been resolved.

.....and NOW you realize why Kurt Ritter and Jon Moss and Bob Lutz and Mark Reuss and others said 'we want to do a new Camaro' and suddenly became silent...........
Old 01-15-2006 | 03:33 AM
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Re: Wagoner scrapped original Camaro at last minute.

^^^ add that part to the book in more detail.
Old 01-15-2006 | 07:55 AM
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Re: Wagoner scrapped original Camaro at last minute.

Originally Posted by turbo96z28
^^^ add that part to the book in more detail.
You hit the nail on the head there! I'll take my copy signed please
Old 01-15-2006 | 09:28 AM
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Re: Wagoner scrapped original Camaro at last minute.

Originally Posted by R377
I'd like to think so, but then again I'm not sure it'd make enough of a difference. Going 'less backwards' is NOT the same as 'going forward'.
Yeah, it's true, but I am sure it won't deviate from the concept much so I am hopeing for a small gesture.
Old 01-15-2006 | 10:34 AM
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Re: Wagoner scrapped original Camaro at last minute.

We want the whole story in the book Red. Along with the 100 extra pages of photos of proposals and could have, would have, should have cars.
Old 01-15-2006 | 11:07 AM
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Re: Wagoner scrapped original Camaro at last minute.

I'd like to know what they were working on BEFORE the 4th gen went out of production. And of course it would be interesting to know what they were working on after the 4th gen ended.



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