Camaro Beats the Mustang in US Sales for the First Time in 25 Years

The Mustang has dominated the muscle car market for the last 25 years, including a brief period when it was alone in the segment. But Chevy’s Camaro has been reborn and revived in order to outsell its competitor this year, for the first time since 1985, according to LeftLaneNews. More surprising is that the Camaro managed to unseat the Mustang despite the lack of a convertible version, which is scheduled to arrive this summer.

The final result for the whole of the year stands at 81,371 Chevys delivered, which is some 8,015 units higher than what Ford managed to sell. Dodge’s Challenger came third overall, with a more modest 36,791 units shifted this year. The figures represents a 32 percent increase for the Camaro and a 10 percent increase for the pony, while the Challenger did a little better with sales growing by 42 percent.

So far, the Camaro has been able to take the lead from Ford with just the coupe model that accounted for all 2010 sales, with figures split almost evenly between the 426 hp V8-powered SS model and the V6 model. “If you’re new to the scene, it’s not much of a compromise settling for 312 hp. I think one of the biggest changes from past to present is that we have a very strong standard [V6] car,” said Chevrolet spokesman David Caldwell in a recent interview.

Still, it’s not all good news, as demand for the coupe seems to be leveling off in December, when 26 percent less cars were sold than a year ago. It’s hard to say who the future muscle car king will be, as the Challenger has received a new V6 and a range-topping SRT8 mill, while Ford looks done upgrading the Mustang.