Camaro Tops U.S. Sports Car Sales

In terms of sales volume, it looks like the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro has not only won the pony/muscle car battle but also the sports car war, as the vehicle is the best-selling sports car in the U.S. for the first full year of sales.From May 2009 to May 2010, the Camaro saw its sales reach a level of 99,872 units, claiming the 1st spot in the sports car sales at a considerable distance from its competitors.

In the U.S., the 2010 Camaro’s first full month of sales was May 2009. The car took the lead in monthly share of segment a month later and maintained its position for 11 of the last 12 months.

“It’s remarkable how quickly consumers connected with the new Camaro, and pushed it to the top of the segment,” says John Fitzpatrick, Camaro marketing manager, “especially considering our key competitors offer both coupe and convertible models."

“When the new Camaro went on sale, it was predominantly bought by Chevrolet owners, or Camaro enthusiasts who already owned a previous-generation," the executive added. "Today, about half of 2010 Camaro buyers are new to Chevrolet, some trading in performance cars such as Mustang or Nissan Z to purchase their Camaro. As Camaro brings new customers to Chevrolet, we believe it is having a residual effect on our other products.”

The Camaro has also managed to convince over 1.000 customers in international markets, even though the car’s official export has not debuted yet. Sales outside the U.S. are expected to grow significantly. Chevrolet will ramp up production to accommodate exports for its largest markets, including Brazil, China, Russia and Europe. South Korea is also included on the “Camaro map”, with the vehicle expected to reach the country next year.

However, the Camaro could be threatened by the revised Mustang, which comes with new powerplants and an aggressive marketing campaign.