Chevrolet's Divine Work?

General Motors has been in a lot of trouble lately. After losing billions of dollars, seeing its market share decline, and receiving junk bond status from investment analysts, it's hard to believe the General was once the titan of American industry. The 2006 Camaro concept car is one product that could help remind the world of how great GM once was.

The Camaro was originally built as a vehicle to compete with the Ford Mustang. The Camaro nameplate managed to survive for thirty-five years. Production ceased in August 2002 with the closing of the St. Therese, Ontario, assembly plant. Camaro sales had been dropping and Chevrolet was focused on manufacturing pickups and sport-utility vehicles. The move still surprised Chevrolet fans, lower GM staff, and automotive writers, all of whom didn't expect such a revered vehicle to be dropped.

The Camaro refused to disappear from the auto scene. Kris Horton, a young artist and Camaro lover, began creating detailed designs for a new model, based closely on the 1960s editions. Horton's illustrations were featured in the pages of Popular Hot Rodding magazine in 2004. The drawings caught wind over the Net and took on a life of their own. Hot rodders kept the flame alive with outstanding customs presented in popular magazines. Collectors had their own part with rising club membership and market values for original cars.

GM did not ignore the interest. While it retired the Camaro, it produced a beautiful sport truck called the SSR. The SSR was inspired by old Chevy custom pickups from the 1940s and �50s. It had a retractable hardtop roof, rear-wheel-drive, and a V-8. The SSR had a mixed reception by the motoring press. Some criticized it for not being enough like a sports car; others complained about the lack of utility as in other pickups. The $41,400 MSRP, 4,800 lb. curb weight, and underpowered motor dissuaded buyers and Chevrolet dealerships ended up discounting them to as little as $30,000. The only light note was that the SSR had the honor of being the official pace car for the 87th Indianapolis 500.