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Castriota Chevrolet celebrates the second coming of Camaro

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BY KLINT LOWRY

THE SUNCOAST NEWS

Published: May 9, 2009

New car models come along every year, some with more fanfare than others. But rarely does the arrival of a new car cause the kind of hoopla like the unveiling party Wednesday evening at Castriota Chevrolet. Then again, this wasn't just any new car being rolled out; it was the return of the Chevy Camaro.

"GM's been tantalizing people with this car for about four years," dealer Tom Castriota said on Monday as he and his staff prepared for the official unveiling, which GM planned to take place at dealerships across the country on May 6. For their part, Castriota staged a two-hour party with the guests of honor, silver and black 2010 Camaros, posed next to vintage Camaros to emphasize that this was the start of a new chapter in a legacy that goes back more than 40 years.

"It isn't just a new Camaro; it's a retro Camaro," Castriota said. "This isn't a car they just created and called a Camaro; they went back to the tradition of what that car was in the '60s."

Debuting in 1967, the Camaro was GM's most successful "pony car," a class named in reference to the Ford Mustang, whose success a few years earlier set a trend among American automakers to build sporty, muscular yet affordable coupes targeted at a youth-oriented market.

The pony car era lasted about a decade. While most ponies disappeared or evolved into other classes, Camaro and its twin the Pontiac Firebird went through four distinct design "generations" but maintained their niche as GM's affordable sports cars. But a market shift toward trucks and SUVs and the fact that the Canadian factory in which the Camaro and Firebird were built was small and outdated led to GM's decision to drop both models in 2002.

Soon after, however, a new retro Mustang was a hit. Chrysler then unveiled new versions of the Charger and Challenger. GM execs decided the stage was set for Camaro to make a comeback.

A retro Camaro concept car debuted at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in 2006 and was an immediate smash. But it takes time for a concept to be made road ready. Castriota believes Camaro aficionados will think it was worth the wait.

"It's got all the classic style of the first introductory car in the '60s with all the modern technologies of today," he said.

The retro-inspired body design and classic dashboard with traditional gauges gives the new Camaro a look that is true to its heritage. On the other hand, the car comes equipped with a full complement of 21st century performance technology and features, including six standard airbags, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, OnStar navigation and XM Satellite Radio.

It also offers another important departure from its pony car predecessors - 29 mpg fuel economy. This figure represents why the unveiling of the new Camaro is important in ways no one was anticipating back in 2006. At a time when car sales are way down and GM is operating under a cloud of possible bankruptcy, the new Camaro is bringing people back to their showrooms.

"Without even advertising it, people are coming into the showroom," Castriota said. "Our whole weekend, traffic was built on 'let's see the Camaro, let's see the Camaro.' We're getting calls constantly."

Of the 19 Camaros his dealership had been initially allotted, 17 have been pre-sold, Castriota said. But more importantly, increased traffic at the dealership is giving his staff the chance to reestablish the brand's reputation, particularly in the area of fuel efficiency. With eight models that get 30 miles per gallon or more on the highway and three hybrids, Chevy is comparable to any Japanese nameplate.

"Old perceptions are hard to break," Castriota said. Ironically, the introduction of a retro-styled Camaro may be just the thing needed to update the company's image with the buying public. How much mileage they can get out of this excitement is anybody's guess, but at least it's giving them some much-needed traction.

"It's certainly a positive, and it's helping us and GM re-establish Chevrolet up where it belongs," Castriota said.

Klint Lowry can be reached at 727-815-1067 or klowry@suncoastnews.com.

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