Holden key to RHD Chevy Camaro
30 Jul, 2008
16 Comments 
Holden key to RHD Chevy Camaro
- Story by David Twomey, photography by Paul Maric.
A decision by GM Holden to import the Chevrolet Camaro, shown in production ready form in Melbourne earlier this week, is the lynchpin for the decision to go ahead with a right-hand drive version of the US sports car.
Speaking with CarAdvice at the reveal of the Chevrolet Camaro, Greg Stefanyshyn, GM’s Global Vehicle Line Executive, who’s spent the past two years in Australia shepherding the project said Australia was crucial to any decision to build a right-hand drive version of the Camaro.
“If we don’t get Holden support for RHD then it won’t happen, it’s as simple as that,” Mr Stefanyshyn told CarAdvice.
He added that the decision would be made within the next two months and said he doubted the other RHD markets around the world would have the numbers to influence a decision without Australia.
Asked what sort of numbers General Motors needed to support a RHD program he said, based on work done before the current oil-price surge, the company needed to build about 4000 vehicles a year.
When we suggested that GM Holden shouldn’t have too much trouble selling half that number in Australia he said it agreed with empirical evidence from other sources.
“But we do need to sit down and crunch the numbers and get a handle on just how many cars the Premium Channel thinks it can sell here.”
The Car would be sold in Australia as a Chevrolet and as such would come under the marketing control of GM Premium Channel, the division that handles brands such as Saab, Hummer and Cadillac.
It’s no secret that the Camaro, engineered in Australia but to be built in Canada and primarily sold in the US, is based on a shortened and modified Zeta platform, the underpinnings of the VE Commodore and has been engineered from the start to be built in either left-hand or right-hand drive.
“The main decisions we need to make is whether we go out and buy the bits needed to build it in right-hand drive, it’s already completely engineered for it,” Mr Stefanyshyn said.
The UK market is the next biggest potential market after Australia and Vauxhall has already demonstrated that there is a steady market for Monaro and re-branded HSV models in Britain.
Although it was never seriously marketed there enthusiasts would have strong memories of the iconic ‘60s and ‘70s Camaros and would most likely support the vehicle.
The big challenge is rising fuel prices and the growing pressures against high-carbon emitting vehicles in Europe, which is sure to limit the appeal of the Camaro over its model life.
South Africa, Japan and then a string of very minor markets make up the rest of the right-hand driving world.
Mr Stefanyshyn and his team really want the Australian motoring public to show a lead and decide whether the Camaro will make it here as the first factory imported Chevrolet since the BelAir in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.
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July 31st, 2008 at 9:34 am
*****PRIMO!*****
The old and ONLY story:”How many can you sell?”
In the current economic climate NOT ENOUGH is the reply.
Its only a Monaro/Comm.Ute platform, nothing new here
Cheers
F-0
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July 31st, 2008 at 9:52 am
I haven’t been a fan of the camaro very much. But the new model had me take a second look. The key to a muscle car is the size, the room inside, and obviously the size and sound of the engine. Good job Chevy on this one.
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July 31st, 2008 at 11:50 am
The main question i reckon is “How much would it cost?”
Coz if it is affordable, count me in to buy one @_@
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July 31st, 2008 at 12:05 pm
How many countries apart from UK and Australia would be keen to get this car in right-hand drive?
Also, if this car is priced a bit too much, the most people would just instead buy the GTR.
Wouldnt this also compete with HSV etc? I mean it’s kinda like shifting the market share, while perhaps gaining a few more people due to the coupe looks.
Perhaps GM needs to get on and just release the Chevy Volt and slap this Camaro body on it - they will have a real winner then!
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July 31st, 2008 at 12:13 pm
if they bring RHD of camaro then they will have to ditch Coupe 60. i wana buy one of those happy looking camaro
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July 31st, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Coupe 60 will never be built! Camaro will start in the US at about $25K so V6 should be sub$50K in Australia. Given that it will be an import here, so got to add taxes, shipping, etc.
Also will be sold by GM Premium as a Chevy so marketing will be away from HSV.
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July 31st, 2008 at 1:03 pm
if its any higher than 70k its getting a little overpriced. 49,990 should be good :)
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July 31st, 2008 at 1:07 pm
BTW V8 sounds really good! Great exhaust note
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July 31st, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Yeah anything above 50K and they are just pushing it too much.
Altho cars are cheaper in USA, when they make their way to Australia, they are sometimes 3 times the price.
Also, isnt it cheaper to buy a holden/pontiac in USA than it is in Australia for the same spec level??
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July 31st, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Well the americans, arn’t winining the war on terror, they dnt make good cars, alot of people hate their president and half a million other issues, and although this car may basically be a Holden, with its Zeta platform, i say Let Chevrolet have it.
I mean since currently a proper Camaro original (from about 1966 to 1969) in australia cost between $40 000 & $60 000, obviously the new one will be more expensive. Now although in america this car might sort of be cheap and mass production, i dnt think its gonna be like that here. I think Australia & Europe will get a limited number of the Camaro. And so basically that means in a few yr’s the price will go up, and obviously if its gona sell at 3 times the price now, then most ppl are gona buy it as a collectable, right nxt to some other CLASSIC MUSCLE cars
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July 31st, 2008 at 6:23 pm
I would much rather prefer the Coupe 60 over the Camaro - and maybe drop the engine out of the HSV W427 into it as a limited edition GTS..
If Holden are going to import a Chevy why not the HHR Nomad as it would make an awesome new Sandman
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July 31st, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Who says they’d have to make their way from the USA to Australia… The car is built on the same platform as the VE Commodore Ute and therefore it would be relatively easy for RHD Camaros to be made at Elizabeth
Particularly if GM decide to start makin Pontiac G8s in Canada.. as that would leave Holden with the extra space [capacity] needed to make other vehicles here… including the VF Crewman and the compact “Torana” due out in 2010-12
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July 31st, 2008 at 8:54 pm
i dead set cant understand this.
it will start out as a novelty like the monaro, and then sales will drop to a point where they eventually have to discontinue it.
i doubt this will even last as long as the monaro.
why anyone would buy this over anyother HSV branded offering is beyond me.
i think ive already answered that question……….
for novelty value, that is why..
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August 1st, 2008 at 1:09 pm
“If we don’t get Holden support for RHD then it won’t happen, it’s as simple as that”.. Um, duh?
Is there any other RHD market in the world that doesn’t allow you to drive a LHD car? Why they hell would they make them for nobody?
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August 19th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
I think the Camaro does have a chance in Australia..but GM wil probably screw it up by making it a top end only affordable car.. so the average bloke on a middle income would have to sell his kids on Ebay and hock a kidney to be able to afford it… the same stuff up happened with the monaro - made it too bloody expensive for the average bloke to buy one and then GMH wondered why they didnt sell the numbers they thought! For christ sake GMH - every fella in the country would buy one if you made the price right!
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October 23rd, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Count me in, dont now how holden have existed as an entity this long. this will be the beginning of the end for Aussie built G.M,’s YES to the 427 small block with a 6 speed please, gas prices who cares. Ive got a 68rsss 396 and I want a new one as well Would much rather have a LHD,but the bull shit laws here kill that.
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