"GM to make reborn Camaro in Canada"

[Craigon69]

It's been a while since I've had a post so figured I'd post this article for discussion... Just ran across it, so sorry if it's already on the forum...

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlebusiness.aspx?type=ousiv&storyID=2006-08-21T182749Z_01_TOR001148_RTRIDST_0_BUSINESSPRO-AUTOS-GM-CANADA-DC.XML&from=business

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TORONTO (Reuters) - General Motors Corp. (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Monday it will make the latest version of its legendary Chevrolet Camaro muscle car at its major Canadian plant just outside Toronto, a decision that will save thousands of jobs at the facility.

The automaker said production of the Camaro, which was GM's main muscle car from 1967 to 2002, will begin in late 2008 at Oshawa, Ontario, about an hour's drive east of Toronto. The new Camaro is set to arrive in showrooms by early 2009.

GM Canada's Oshawa workers, members of the Canadian Auto Workers union, agreed earlier this year to 2,500 early retirements to trim costs at Oshawa to help secure production of the Camaro. The Oshawa facility has been judged one of GM's most efficient and highest-quality assembly operations.

One of GM's two car-assembly plants at Oshawa had been due to close in 2008. It will now remain open, saving about 2,700 jobs. It will also undergo a C$740 million ($661 million) makeover to install what GM Canada called a state-of-the-art flexible production line capable of producing different vehicles.

"The Oshawa car plant has been selected as the plant to manufacture one of GM's most celebrated new vehicles, the Chevrolet Camaro," Arturo Elias, who took over as president of GM Canada on August 1, said in his announcement.

GM discontinued production of the Camaro in 2002 when it closed its Ste. Therese plant, just north of Montreal, a decision that put about 1,000 employees out of work.

The Camaro rebirth follows the re-make of Ford Motor Co.'s (F.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Mustang and DaimlerChrysler AG's (DCXGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) plan to resurrect its Dodge Challenger in 2008 as North American automakers turn to nostalgia to rekindle enthusiasm for their brands.
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[Kenova]

That is just the start of the good news.
The auto plant mentioned has a capacity of close to 250,000 cars a year, so GM will definetly be asigning another car to the plant. Although they haven't mentioned what it may be, I'm guessing it may have a longer or shorter wheel base and maybe even a different track width, but will most likely share the same suspension and drivetrain components. Kind of sounds like the same relationship that '67 to '69 Camaros and '68 to '74 Novas had. So if the new Camaro isn't to your likeing, there will be at least one more car to choose from for V8 and RWD.
And then there was that little blurb in Hot Rod about Pontiac wanting to go RWD across their entire lineup. You can bet they will want something built on the same platform as the Camaro.
Remeber all the cars that Ford built off of the Fox platform? :naughty: This could be the start of a lot of fun!
Ken

[muthstryker]

so what is going to be the cost of these badboys so i can start saving. hell ill stay at home untill im 30 to own one.. lol

[rob07002]

That is just the start of the good news.
The auto plant mentioned has a capacity of close to 250,000 cars a year, so GM will definetly be asigning another car to the plant. Although they haven't mentioned what it may be, I'm guessing it may have a longer or shorter wheel base and maybe even a different track width, but will most likely share the same suspension and drivetrain components. Kind of sounds like the same relationship that '67 to '69 Camaros and '68 to '74 Novas had. So if the new Camaro isn't to your likeing, there will be at least one more car to choose from for V8 and RWD.
And then there was that little blurb in Hot Rod about Pontiac wanting to go RWD across their entire lineup. You can bet they will want something built on the same platform as the Camaro.
Remeber all the cars that Ford built off of the Fox platform? :naughty: This could be the start of a lot of fun!
Ken

If what you say is true, my money is on a new GTO!

[71Formula]

I just hope that Pontiac will consider building the Firebird and Trans Am again...

[BonzoHansen]

I'd like to see a firechicken fbody, and maybe a poor-man's CTS-V with PMD badges....

[go-fish]

It would be nice if an American car company wanted to build a car in, well , America. It reminds me of the "Drop Your Buckets Here" speach given by G.W. Carver at the dawn of the industrial revolution to try to get the factories to put blacks to work instead of bringing immigrants in. They didn't and they were held down for that much longer. The story was about a ship stranded and it spotted another ship, they signaled the ship pleading for fresh water, repeatedly. The other ship repeatedly replied drop your buckets, they were at the mouth of the Amazon River. Drop your buckets here GM. Put Americans to work with good paying jobs and we can pull ourselves up and wipe out national debt faster, get food on tables, and become a stronger nation by putting money right back into the economy.Homegrown money.
There are over 7 GM plants that were shut down last year here in America. GM still owns the property. How many autoworkers were put out of a job in Michigan, Oklahoma, Georgia, Illinois? Where was the last Camaro plant? I think Van Nuys.
GM is not the most heinous offender of draining the U.S.'s workforce of jobs and the do pay well. I don't mind that Canada gets the work since they are our GOOD neighbors, unlike Mexico. At least Canadiens won't work for peanuts. They're good folks.
Just remember the Levi Strauss' and Wrangler jeans of the American industrial community are yearning for a retail America. Sending manufacturing out of th US and planning to be strictly sellers of goods.
Business Owners: who's gonna buy your goods when Joe get's laid off at the plant? Start advertising your products in Bangladesh?
Does anybody disagree? I'm sorry for geting all economical on yo' arsses.

[EFI69Cam]

It would be nice if an American car company wanted to build a car in, well , America. It reminds me of the "Drop Your Buckets Here" speach given by G.W. Carver at the dawn of the industrial revolution to try to get the factories to put blacks to work instead of bringing immigrants in. They didn't and they were held down for that much longer. The story was about a ship stranded and it spotted another ship, they signaled the ship pleading for fresh water, repeatedly. The other ship repeatedly replied drop your buckets, they were at the mouth of the Amazon River. Drop your buckets here GM. Put Americans to work with good paying jobs and we can pull ourselves up and wipe out national debt faster, get food on tables, and become a stronger nation by putting money right back into the economy.Homegrown money.
There are over 7 GM plants that were shut down last year here in America. GM still owns the property. How many autoworkers were put out of a job in Michigan, Oklahoma, Georgia, Illinois? Where was the last Camaro plant? I think Van Nuys.
GM is not the most heinous offender of draining the U.S.'s workforce of jobs and the do pay well. I don't mind that Canada gets the work since they are our GOOD neighbors, unlike Mexico. At least Canadiens won't work for peanuts. They're good folks.
Just remember the Levi Strauss' and Wrangler jeans of the American industrial community are yearning for a retail America. Sending manufacturing out of th US and planning to be strictly sellers of goods.
Business Owners: who's gonna buy your goods when Joe get's laid off at the plant? Start advertising your products in Bangladesh?
Does anybody disagree? I'm sorry for geting all economical on yo' arsses.


I agree with you in principle, but The economies of the US and Canada or so intertwined that it does not make a difference really. Work for Mexicans in Mexico is sort of the same thing.
My problem is with all of the made in China crap that fills the shelves at Walmart. It’s getting to the point now that many companies in the automotive aftermarket are farming their manufacturing out to China. That pisses me off, and I will not buy made in China stuff for my car, I will do without first.

[go-fish]

Yeah, at least Canadians have self respect. It's not so bad when manufacturing goes to Canada. Mexico is different. They work for nothing and the Mexican govt. profits sooo much and gives NOTHING to the people. Mex is fukt.

[dropit69]

am wondering if canadians get paid on same wage line as americans?..is it unionized like here in the states..if so the camaro will be plenty of $$$...and soon not gonna be a way to build a car without a foreign part on it..just the sad truth of our day and age..

[go-fish]

Oh yeah, they are UAW. I would rather spend big $ on a Canadian Chevy than little $ on a Chinese Chery. The auto industry isn't as bad as clothes and electronics. Nissan just built a plant in Mississippi for the big SUV and another one in Alabama for ?something?. Build where you sell aproach. It works, you see Nissans everywhere down here. Alot of people are won over because they brought a plant to the poor state. A town next to where I grew up had the last Wrangler jeans plant in the US, it went Mex. People in the little cowboy town still buy the crap out of 'em because A.) they are cowboys, and B.) Wal-Mart is the only place for them to shop and it peddles that brand and Levi's, wich have also gone Chinese. Levi's only office is it's S.F. Design and Marketing center. America was born into greatness with it's own industrial revolution and is dying at the feet of other countries industrial revolutions. Where have all the factory workers and farmers gone?

[fast Ed]

That is a unionized plant, as are all the old "Big Three" plants in Canada. Quality of vehicles from that plant is rated as one of the highest in North America. Wages would be similar to the U.S., but the company doesn't have to worry about paying so much for a health and medical package, since we have universal medicare here in Soviet Canuckistan ... lowers the overall cost of employment for the manufacturer.

Toyota and Honda have several (non-unionized) plants here, partially for that reason.

BTW, the last Camaro plant was in Ste-Therese, Quebec (also Canada).


cheers
Ed N.

[BonzoHansen]

Every car will come with a case of Molson Export. Woot!

[BonzoHansen]

From a press relase today.

"MacKenzie said GM hopes to utilize three shifts in order to build the Camaro and its potential siblings once the car begins its production run in two years. "

Hmm...

[shmoov69]

It would be nice if an American car company wanted to build a car in, well , America. It reminds me of the "Drop Your Buckets Here" speach given by G.W. Carver at the dawn of the industrial revolution to try to get the factories to put blacks to work instead of bringing immigrants in. They didn't and they were held down for that much longer. The story was about a ship stranded and it spotted another ship, they signaled the ship pleading for fresh water, repeatedly. The other ship repeatedly replied drop your buckets, they were at the mouth of the Amazon River. Drop your buckets here GM. Put Americans to work with good paying jobs and we can pull ourselves up and wipe out national debt faster, get food on tables, and become a stronger nation by putting money right back into the economy.Homegrown money.
There are over 7 GM plants that were shut down last year here in America. GM still owns the property. How many autoworkers were put out of a job in Michigan, Oklahoma, Georgia, Illinois? Where was the last Camaro plant? I think Van Nuys.
GM is not the most heinous offender of draining the U.S.'s workforce of jobs and the do pay well. I don't mind that Canada gets the work since they are our GOOD neighbors, unlike Mexico. At least Canadiens won't work for peanuts. They're good folks.
Just remember the Levi Strauss' and Wrangler jeans of the American industrial community are yearning for a retail America. Sending manufacturing out of th US and planning to be strictly sellers of goods.
Business Owners: who's gonna buy your goods when Joe get's laid off at the plant? Start advertising your products in Bangladesh?
Does anybody disagree? I'm sorry for geting all economical on yo' arsses.
In theory that is great! I would love to see more US manufacturing and US made items.
As for the auto industry though, are you not going to lay any blame on the US workers? I mean seriously, the unions have made it a disaster and have forced the manufacturers out of the country. GM has the largest health plan IN THE WORLD and the workers (union) still complains! $50 - $100+ an hour is freakin insane and completely undeserved to work in a factory (READ>IMO).
Well, the normal mass manufacturing seems to be that there are waay too many loopholes for the companies to go out of the country. There needs to be some sort of incentive (big one) for the factories to stay here and not just have an office here.
Sorry if that offends any UAW people here, but like I said, that is MY OPINION.:geek:

[dropit69]

shmoov69 couldnt agree more i work for one the largest steel producers in the us..we are non-union.and love it..make more money than all my union buddies too..they hate that..lol..i hate to see all our great companies move but just the face of the nation today..sad..

[go-fish]

It is sad to see the greediness of some GM employees, like my uncle and aunt. There isn't as big of a problem with Unionized companies moving out though. It is sad to see when a company that makes jet parts with a one of a kind machine and has a workforce who is mostly 50's and early 60's folk and they send the operation to Mexico and unloads the employees and escapes paying out pensions. They weren't union and were happy. Our government has become about economics and the dollar rather than the wellbeing of it's worker ants. Our politicians are completely selfserving upperclass people who find new oppurtunities to become wealthier through connections and power. It's time to vote like your job depends on it. How long can a "retail nation" make it before it molds itself into a two class society, rich and poor. Just my feelings and I guess this isn't really the place for it but it is worth thinking about.