VIDEO: The First 2010 Camaro
Rick Hendrick, chairman and CEO of Hendrick Motorsports, made the trip to the Camaro plant in Oshawa to pick up the very first 2010 Chevrolet Camaro. Check out the Camaro being built and watch Rick pick up his new car.
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“Camaro plant in Oshawa”
No disrespect to our good friends in Canada, but “Camaro plant in Oshawa” doesn’t come easily across the tongue when describing what GM likes to call an “American icon.”
I’ll guess you’ll have to instead call it a “North American icon,” eh?
Jay Leno didn’t get the first Camaro? Or did he just buy it immediately from Hendrick?
BTW: Just passed 7,500 enjoyable miles in a Saturn Aura XR V-6. A friend of mine, who drives a Toyota, after we took a 20 mile drive in the Saturn: “It reminds me of a Passat.”
Yea! The first Camaro Gen 5!! And Rick Hendrick driving/owning the first one!!
Only thing worse then those standard plastic hubcaps is the plastic dash. I’m very disappointed with this car. Plastic is to make soda bottles and playschool toys not muscle cars you idiots.
Oshawa is nothing but a CLASS ACT. God bless Canada.
PS
I can’t wait to see Camaro’s in SCCA, Grand American racing.
PS?
I here Trans Am is back to……….too cool.
I knew the guys in Oshawa were fast and efficient, but I had no idea they were that fast!
I love the Gen5 Camaro and I am happy that GM is back in the race. I guess we will be seeing a lot of ‘Stangs in our rear view mirror from now on.
Frank,
Sorry to hear you feel that way. I think you’re overstating the use of plastic in the Camaro. Have you had the chance to sit in the car or see it in person? We really feel like we have a 21st century sports car here that delivers exciting performance and styling, but doesn’t cost a fortune to own or drive (i.e. 29 mpg on the V6). I’m interested in hearing your thoughts.
Adam Denison
Chevrolet Product Communications
“Only thing worse then those standard plastic hubcaps is the plastic dash.”
Frank,
If you were building the Camaro, what would you use for the dashboard? Steel? Engine-turned aluminum? Glass? Titanium? Solid wood? Plywood? Cloth-covered pressboard? Fiberglass? Ceramic?
Actually (as I’m sure you must realize) cost-efficient options are rather limited. A Bentley or Rolls-Royce might use hand-crafted teak or burled-maple, but that’s hardly an answer for a mass-production car.
So I’m curious, if you ran GM, what would you tell the designers to use?
I don’t know whether it’s just my local Chevy, Buick, Pontiac, “Honda” , dealership, but their lot is filled mostly with Honda’s and wouldn’t even let me order a new Camaro. It’s no wonder GM is having such a tough time selling cars when your dealers have three salesman standing around and don’t have a clue on selling cars.
I love the interior as is , some of the forms are larger because its cold in Canada and you have to be able to operate things with gloves on, this may lead to coments on things looking oversiplifyed cheep or plasticie, Try operating the buttons in a asian car, with a US desighn teem in California; with gloves on, sorry your going to have to bite the mittens off while driving. Or maybee you took off your gloves before starting off, how much you wanna bet it was to use your cell phone, or worse text ;while driving.
Actualy I kinda miss the pressed board with vinyl that we used to use 40 years ago, it was inexpensive and had a rich look and feel, trouble was it ignighted easaly, somehow I think the injection moulded plastic panels in modern autos burn longer and hotter, so they could even be more dangerous when finally lit. but I digress that was for the doorpanels. I would like to see the Dash as it was in the 1960’s as well, a unboltable stressed steel lower wrap dressed in paint with a steel cap covered in expanded foam and vinyl. Airbags and proper passive restraints make all the plastic panneling in the modern auto obsolete, this could be a huge cost savings, plus the 60’s style interior would look hansom, feel rich, and wear about as well as what we have now. The exposed steel structure would impart a look of strength and durability.
Jason
Blue Wing,
For what it’s worth, the previous Camaro was built in Ste-Thérese, Québec; Oshawa’s actually much closer to the American border!
Every time we were in the area, my dad pointed out the plant and said “hey, that’s where the Camaro is built!” I hope some other little girl in Oshawa gets the same experience and sense that “hey, this is special” as I did. I’d love to own one – when my salary permits it, I’ll have a 2SS with manual transmission, please.
Hey, thanks Emily. Good on you for wanting a manual. My daughter took her driver’s test with a manual and passed first try. I was mighty proud of her.
Didn’t know that about Ste-Thérese, Québec. So much for that old Chevy marketing motto, “Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet, They Go Together in the Good ‘Ole USA…”
It should be something like, “Hockey, peameal, Tim Hortons, and Camaro, they all go together on that good ‘ole North American continental shield.”
Wait, wait… wait. It’s coming to me now. Yes, yes, I can see it.
It’s the new Chevy Mustang.
Mac Turnbull
“Only thing worse then those standard plastic hubcaps is the plastic dash.”
“Frank,
If you were building the Camaro, what would you use for the dashboard? Steel? Engine-turned aluminum? Glass? Titanium? Solid wood? Plywood? Cloth-covered pressboard? Fiberglass? Ceramic?
Actually (as I’m sure you must realize) cost-efficient options are rather limited. A Bentley or Rolls-Royce might use hand-crafted teak or burled-maple, but that’s hardly an answer for a mass-production car.
So I’m curious, if you ran GM, what would you tell the designers to use?”
A soft touch covering should have been used so the plastic wasn’t so blatantly obvious and didn’t turn an otherwise beautiful automobile interior into something from the Rubbermaid Collection. An example is my 2001 Aurora which has very little hard plastic, but uses a soft vinyl to cover the dash making the interior look better. Even that material used in the Pontiac models (looks/feels almost like elephant skin) would have been better. This hollow sounding plastic is a let down.
I think even before you get a chance to sit in Camaro – you can tell this is NOT a cheap ‘plastic’ feeling car. The gloss levels and fit and finish is so good you can clearly see the quality even in the press photos from the initial test cars.
Unlike Frank, I really believe the interior of the new Camaro has been executed extremely well.
Camaro is truly an impressive achievement.
There is no other car on the market with the performance, fuel economy, quality and price of the Camaro.
Camaro has better fuel economy than many front wheel drive sedans
Camaro has better performance than many more expensive sports cars
Camaro’s quality and design is actually very impressive (i’ve sat in the car)
And.. as for the price – no where else in the world can a customer have so much for such a low price.
Camaro is not just a retro muscle car – It is actually a highly refined and well deigned world-class car.
I can’t wait to see the sales figures on this car.
I don’t care about global economic crisis and electric hybrid Prius clone cars…Camaro is gonna show the world that people still want cars with PASSION and refinement.
Frank,
There ARE NO plastic hubcaps on any Camaro trim – the base LS has black steel 18″ rims, and all the rest are either 18, 19, or 20″ aluminum rims.
And untill you sit in a production Camaro (which I have already), you do not know how well the interior looks and feels.
Please get your facts straight before you criticize.
FYI for everyone…….
Camaro was initially produced from 1967-1992 at Van Nuys, California. For the 1993 4th gen redesign, production was moved to Ste. Therese, Quebeq untill production ended in 2002.
when iz it being launched in Middle East to be specific in UAE???
I LOVEEEE THAT THING shes jst amazing cant wait to drive one
The new Camaro is absolutely sick (in an amazing way!!!!) Does anyone know when they are being delivered in Florida? I TOTALLY NEED ONE!!! My friend is getting a 2010 Mustang
and i want to rip his car a new one baby. PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, ANSWER THIS QUESTION!!!!! Im thinkin about the 2SS with RS kit and auto tranny, cuz ive never learned how to drive manual.
Tyler,
Camaros are being produced as we speak right now, at a pace of about 150/day. There will be a national Camaro unveiling I believe May 6th but I am not sure of the exact date. At that time, on the day of the national unveiling, every dealer in America is supposed to have one in their showroom. The first shipments for sale will be the ones that have been pre-ordered since November of last year when pre-orders were opened for submission. As of right now, that number is about 14,000, and those car are essentially already sold. You can still order one if your dealer has a slot available. If not, you will probably have to wait untill fall before Camaros arrive on lots as stock units ready for public test drives.
Joe D., you neglected to note that Camaros and Firebirds were also assembled in the 70’s (Gen. II) at the Norwood, Ohio facility. At the time, this was the oldest operating GM final assembly plant. However, the plant was retooled with some interesting automation for its day. This plant had a 17-station robotic body welding line and an automated tire mounting machine. The painted wheels (in matching sets per car in the line) rolled down a track from the second floor painting section and the tires were automatically mounted, one by one, and then sent for installation to the matching colored car. After final assembly, each car was started and then turned around and driven onto a dyno for engine and transmission performance testing.
Frank
A soft skin polyurethane instrument panel is significantly more expensive than an injection molded polypropylene one like that in the Mustang and Camaro.
There is no way Mustang and Camaro could be such good value with padded soft interiors.
..and anyhow, the padded soft instrument panels and doors are more appropriate for soft luxury cars (like Buicks)
Hard molded material is much more purposeful and suited to a car like Camaro…and with the low gloss material that GM has selected there is no feeling of cheapness when you are actually inside.
Have a sit in a Camaro – let me know if it changes your mind..
Allan
That’s right, I forgot about Norwood. Were 3rd gens produced there as well or just second gens?
I have been in contact with a few 2010 Camaro customers, and they have just received notices through their dealers as of yesterday that their cars have been produced and will ship in 2 weeks!
Although I have not ordered mine yet (waiting for prices to loosen up a bit), I cannot wait to see these Camaros on the road this summer and I am very excited for all those who have ordered and will be getting theirs.
I’ve followed every step of the Camaro from the original 2006 concept at the January NAIAS unveiling, to CEO Rick Wagoner’s press conference announcement in August of 2006 that the Camaro will in fact be produced, on through all the steps of R&D, photos of the IVERs, extreme climate testing, all the stages of pre-production up to the CTFs and on though to the start of regular full production.
GM has done an absolutely stellar job in preparing this car to be a very classy, high quality, technologically advanced and reliable vehicle. At the same time, they have done an equally stellar job in preserving the essence of the Camaro (which I felt was kind of lost by the 3rd and 4th gens). It is an excellent car as a Camaro, but more importantly, it stands up to any other performance coupe in this class, and I don’t just mean the Mustang or Challenger.
GM has produced a world class vehicle!
Thank you everyone for your comments (pro and con) about our new Camaro. I work in the new Camaro Flex Plant in Oshawa and have worked there for 26 years.This car is the most exciting launch we’ve ever had. Rest assured that this car will get all the award winning care and quallity our plant puts into every car and truck we build. Production is moving along at an impressive pace and every car is being carefully checked to ensure your Camaro leaves our plant built right. We (hourly and salary employees) are working hard to get your Camaro out to your dealer A.S.A.P. This is an awsome car and we want every owner to drive away with a huge smile on your face ,so be paitent they are on there way ,slowly at first, but they are coming. I watched several transports loading up and heading out today. Our plant has many awards for quality from J D Powers and others and we are continuing to put that same effort into our new Camaro.I love this car and I know you will to once you sit in it ,fire it up and take it for a test flight. If you have any questions I will happy to answer them the best I can.
“That’s right, I forgot about Norwood. Were 3rd gens produced there as well or just second gens?”
3rd gens were produced at Van Nuys AND Norwood until the end of the 87 model year when they were exclusively produced at Van Nuys.
The paint finish on the Norwood cars (which was solvent based) was much better then the Van Nuys cars (which was water based) which often suffered from delamination.
My 88 was produced in Van Nuys and I had to get it repainted. But as it was almost 20 years old at the time (the paint on many others didn’t last anything like that long) I have no quibble.
As I’m a Cadillac man these days I’m now torn between the CTS and the new Camaro as my next car…
TODAY I WORKED IN CHASSIS ,FINAL CARE AND WATCHED THE FINISHED PRODUCT ROLL OFF THE END OF LINE. I WAS VERY IMPRESSED, AND I HAVE WATCHED THOUSANDS OF DIFFERENT CARS ROLL OFF THAT LINE IN THE PAST 26 YEARS.THE FIT AND FINISH ON THESE CARS IS VERY NICE IN PATICULAR THE BODY GAPS IN THE DOORS FACIAS ,HOODS,TRUNKS AND ALL BODY PARTS ARE EXELLENT. THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS AS HIGH OR HIGHER THAN ITS’ EVER BEEN AND EVERYONE IN THE PLANT ARE WORKING HARD TO DELIVER A QUALITY BUILT CAMARO TO ALL FUTURE OWNERS. I HOPE ALL OF YOU WILL BE IMPRESSED AS WELL. I ‘LL TRY TO KEEP YOU UP TO DATE ON THE IN PLANT PROGRESS AS BEST I CAN.
We started building Camaros at the Norwood, Ohio plant in 1966 (Gen 1!)……………stopped in 1987! Those robots in the body shop were old hydraulic UNIMATE robots, they did some of the heavier spot welding on the bodies but much of it still was done by hand! They started building in Van Nuys about the same time. GM shut down Norwood in 1987 and moved all production to the Van Nuys plant before closing it and sending F car production to Canada. The Camaro plant is probably the safest plant in all of GM now as far as being kept open, up and running………………………GM has a few newer “FLEX” plants in the US also.
Keep up the great work. … ordered Black – Black .. hope to see it soon!!!
I think those two goofy looking “cat’s ears” main clusters sticking up out of the dashboard look ridiculous. There are soooo many good looking dashboards out there, surely they could have done better than this.
Why such narrow slits for windows? Isn’t it going to be difficult for the driver to see out? Those slits remind me of what it might look like from inside a gun turret looking outside for the enemy.
Is that a ploy to get people into the convertible version?
The camaro is absolutely top of the line. General Motors has proven in the past that they build excellent quality vehicles. They have received the JD power award more than once. This new model is exceptional and I am certain General Motors will continue to make top of the line vehicles. I do not work for General Motors nor do I have family members that do. But I am a true Canadian, who does back my country. Too bad the people who hold a grudge, for whatever reason couldn’t get their heads out of the sand. Buy what you want, after all it is your money. PS as for all the negative remarks, get your facts straight, don’t just copy what others have written. Afterall this is not highschool.
I took delivery of my NEW Super Fine 2LTCamaro on May 22, 2009. I have never driven a car that has drawn the attention this car has gotten. This car is what General Motors has needed for years. They have finally done it right. .And Yes I am very proud to be a part of the GM family as a Tool and Diemaker at the Marion Stamping Plant I know quality sheet metal stamping and this car is A+ on fit and finish. The body style and the interior make you feel like a high tech jet fighter pilot. And I love the chopped down windows as this gives it a custom built look. I could go on and on but I think I will go out and drive around showing the world what a great Camaro GM has built. Thank You General Motors for rebulding the “Excitement”
Video of Jay Leno receiving his 2010 Camaro from GM http://celebritynation.tv/2009/11/03/jay-gets-a-custom-camaro-video/