I am a Trans Am nut and I don't understand why they wouldn't. It does not make sense. 98-02 they sold both.... I don't care what GM says about poor sales, they sold good.
Yes it does its called money. GM is hurting big time and the Camaro can only be one car not a sibling to the Firebird.
I am sure it was :BangHead: What I am trying to say is that the sales may have been "low" to GM but I (once again my opinion) did not think so. I remember reading somewhere in 02 when they announced that they were terminated by lack of sales That the numbers for just the Camaro alone were like 40k or 50k with the Firebird not far behind that. I (once again my opinion) thought at the time that was pretty good. Maybe not to GM.
okay GM needs to sell 80-100K of these cars. WITH the money given to promote one car. Thats where Firebird failed. They lost money in just advertising the Firebird. They do not need a low volume car. They need a high volume seller. a 30K a year Firebird is not for this platform needs considering the millions that its taking to get the Camaro from drawing board to street. This platform could not survive on the same numbers that the 02 Camaro and Firebird sold at. If it did it would not last past 5 years. Thats fact. What you say about you remember reading is that
Pontaic sold in total all Firebirds, Formulas and T/A's combined as Chevy sold V6 Camaro's.
Sure to you it a no brainer but when you only have room for one pony car in your lineup It has to be the volume seller. Firebird was not it. Camaro was it. If there was a case then Mustang would still have the Capri and Chrysler would have a stablemate to its Challenger.
Think about it. When 2003 rolled around Ford sold like 140K Stangs. Why not split that and sent some $$$ to Mercury and develope a new Capri for them since they are hurting? Especially since the F-Body was dead. Why not they had at least 70K to give to another devision to give it a boost. a new 4.6liter 2 door for Mercury? Would be great. But the millions it would take to design and market a new Capri. Ford would lose money on everyone sold. That is why GM only has one muscle car. Camaro is the only way they could make a profit. not having Firebird in the mix. On top of it, Pontaic can not use the name Trans Am anymore to produce a car or option package.
Beleive me Scott S. went into great detail a few years ago on the pros and cons of a new firebird and the outcome is what you got here. It just does not make a case. Not the numbers it needed then and not the numbers it needs now.