Last Camaro sells for 71K

[2Dambad]

The last new Camaro to be sold by Chevrolet — a red, T-topped Z-28 — brought a tidy $71,500 at a charity auction.

"I got a little crazy," said the buyer, Mark Gembinski, a 32-year-old business manager from Mayville, Mich. "I paid a lot more than I wanted to, but I wanted it bad."

When Gembinski was born, his father took him home from the hospital in a 1969 Camaro.

His Z-28 wasn't the last Camaro to roll off the assembly line — that car is headed for Chevrolet's museum. Gembinski's car was second-to-last, produced last week at a General Motors plant in St. Therese, Quebec.

More than 4 million Camaros were sold since the muscle car debuted in fall 1966 with the 1967 model. It reached its heyday in the disco days of the 1970s but sold poorly in the era of SUVs and imports, and last September, General Motors announced it would stop making the Camaro, along with the Pontiac Firebird.

Gembinski bought his Camaro on Sunday at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival, and proceeds will go to the National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere.

"It's a very sad day for us," said Scott Settlemire, Chevrolet's assistant brand manager for the Camaro line. "But the money is going somewhere good."

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[Wilkyman]

wow thats alot of pocket change

[SL_]

Reminds me of an article I read in MT that said Aleros will be the last of the Olds. I have an '99 - the first year. Should I buy a '04 to have the last year too? ;)

[SHawk670]

It just had to be a Camaro, I heard the 3rd and 4th last F-Body's were Red Pontiac Trans Am's with T-Tops but I have no info to back that up, I would have been cooler for the last two to be Pontiac's because I think they looker cooler than the Camaros. 71k is way way too much for a 25k car even if it is the 2nd to the last one ever made.

[Black2002GT]

Today is a sad day, today is a day to Mourn. My mom had a 67, 2 69's and a 76 camaro. My dad had a 69 Firebird. My mom use to drive me around in her camaro every day when i was a baby to get me to fall asleep. i am sad.



Proud to be ALL GM all i will ever buy is GM that is all my parents have ever baught and that is all i will ever buy too.


erik

[SilverGA2001]

Although I'm mourning the loss too, I'm also glad to say I've got memories of many of them. Dad had a 79 Camaro, my friend has a restored 77 black Trans Am complete with the screaming chicken on the hood, his dad had a restored 69 SS, my brother in law had a 98 Z28 6 speed (sold it for a Jeep Grand Cherokee!!! :mad: ) and of course, we now have a 2002 red Firebird Formula with t-tops, leather and the NHRA Special Edition tags. Last of a legend, but it went out with style and power both. :) Makes it easier to accept the loss with one parked in the driveway, I think Sunday it'll be 1 month old, time to bake a cake. :)

[VTECSiGAH8R]

I drove my neighbors '94 z28 today. He said I drove like a grandma, which was true because I didn't want to push it because I was in such amazement that I was behind the wheel of so much power. We were going to pick up his friend's truck at the boat ramp, so when my neighbor got in his friend's truck, he took off on me going pretty fast to get me to catch up. So I was unfortunately (:D ) forced to gun it from 10 mph out of a corner, and the thing slid and I could just feel the torque and the power on the pavement and it started pulling hard as f***. My dad was with me tho so I was only able to go up to 60 (speed limit was 40), but at about 50, a miami Hurricanes flag that was on the car broke off and we had to turn around and go get it :(

It was quite funny tho because when I got home my neighbor's daughter saw me and she came up to me and said "awww, he doesn't even let me drive that thing" :) Unfortunately, now it's back to the meager 140 hp and 185 ft/lbs of torque in my Lumina if that much anymore :(

I MUST HAVE A CAMARO SOMEDAY!!!

[SilverGA2001]

Originally posted by VTECSiGAH8R
I MUST HAVE A CAMARO SOMEDAY!!!

I highly recommend the Firebird though... :D

I know the 94's were powerful, but you really gotta try a LS-1, it's like nothing else out there. Freaking scary, and I'm glad they equipped it with Traction Control, because when it gets a little out of line (gee, imagine that with only 340 ft/lbs of torque :p ) it'll bring you back when the trac kicks in. Found that out the first time I took it through the car wash and came out with wet tires... :wow:

[VTECSiGAH8R]

Yeah, I know. I hear the LS-1s are crazy. But I'll take what I can get, 285 HP isn't that bad ;) And it's a little more because they have some mods done to it. I never have really likes the design of the Firebird as much as the camaro because it seems too curvy for me everywhere, especially in the back. And I think the Ram-Air hood seem to try to focus on the huge ducts too much. I like the nice scoop in the Camaro SS much better. They are both great cars tho, no matter what the magazines say. All they do is talk about how cheap the interior is, and all I can think of is "gee, what else do ya want for the money. The interior is suitable, and all that hp and torque is hard to disagree with." And oh god, that low sound is sooooo great. Our van has a v8 sound but not nearly as low and pronounced. Gotta luv it.

[SilverGA2001]

Originally posted by VTECSiGAH8R
Yeah, I know. I hear the LS-1s are crazy. But I'll take what I can get, 285 HP isn't that bad ;) And it's a little more because they have some mods done to it. I never have really likes the design of the Firebird as much as the camaro because it seems too curvy for me everywhere, especially in the back. And I think the Ram-Air hood seem to try to focus on the huge ducts too much. I like the nice scoop in the Camaro SS much better. They are both great cars tho, no matter what the magazines say. All they do is talk about how cheap the interior is, and all I can think of is "gee, what else do ya want for the money. The interior is suitable, and all that hp and torque is hard to disagree with." And oh god, that low sound is sooooo great. Our van has a v8 sound but not nearly as low and pronounced. Gotta luv it.

The LS1 is absolutely absurd. People ask why we needed a car so fast, and I honestly say "no reason, in fact there's no real reason to build a car like this, perfect world we'd all have Insights for mere transportation, and there would be absolutely no real reason to have a car this fast." But they did build it, and damn...
We don't have the WS6 hood scoops. We got a Formula, so we have those twin inlets at the base of the hood, but no scoops. Looks much better IMO without the scoops. Scary with them though.

[AMRAAM4]

Hmmm, why i severyone acting like this over the Camaro and Firebird (not necessarily just saying you guys either)? They're going to be back in a couple years, mark these words.