According to Australian reports, the Chevrolet Camaro will fill the V8 void in Holden showrooms starting next year.
Starting next year Holden will begin importing the Camaro SS before converting it to right-hand-drive specification in Melbourne through its performance partner, Holden Special Vehicles. HSV’s parent company, Walkinshaw, already runs a similar program with Ram 1500 trucks.
reports the plan is almost five years ahead of schedule, as Holden wasn’t supposed to receive the Camaro until the next generation debuts in 2022 and will be built in both left and right-hand-drive configurations at GM’s Lansing Grand River Assembly. Holden has put pressure on GMNA to pull the plan forward after watching the public furor for Ford’s recently landed RHD Mustang, which has already clocked 10,000 sales in Australia this year, roughly half of the local sportscar market.
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Holden’s Australian made Commodore will end production on October 20, leaving Holden without a V8 powered model in its lineup for the first time since 1968, but the Camaro is expected to follow six months later when it begins appearing in select showrooms part way through 2018.
However, Holden is under no circumstances expecting to match the Mustang’s sales volume–the local conversion process will add significant engineering costs, which could add a $20,000 premium to the Camaro’s MSRP. Regardless of the price, Holden expects it will appeal to diehard V8 fanatics who can’t stand the thought of wheeling a Ford.
Even so, there won’t be many Camaro’s on offer, with only about a 1,000 cars expected each year due to local production constraints. Each car will come with a factory warranty and will be serviced at Holden dealerships, however, the Camaro will continue to wear its native gold bowtie badge.
