Why Holden should import Camaro

The Global Financial Crisis and the subsequent restructure of General Motors may have put the brakes on an Australian version of the Camaro, but having driven one as a rental car on a recent visit to North America, the Carsales Network wants to enlist the help of its readers to lobby Holden to bring the Camaro here.

Of course, GM has bigger problems to deal with right now (and is focusing on developing new volume-selling, fuel efficient models), but we also reckon it needs to spare some energy on an icon car for when times eventually turn good again.

At least part of our argument is that Holden will need a drawcard like the Camaro to get people into Holden showrooms to look at (and possibly buy) all the other dull, sensible cars that are presumably coming our way.

The Camaro should be Holden's 30 cent ice cream cone. Even if they don't sell that many Camaros and people end up buying cheeseburgers, isn't that still a good result for Holden and its dealers?

Indeed, Holden needs the Camaro to help drive its economic recovery. I'm sure someone there can do an impressive graph that shows how that might work.

We could even give you a hand. You get an arrow, and point it diagonally up, above an axis that says "overall profit". Then, have the vertical axis dotted with tiny Camaros and Barinas.

That's where I reckon car makers get it wrong sometimes, they measure the success of a particular model on an individual basis. But what about measuring against the whole business?

I know what you're thinking: there is a reason motoring journalists don't typically run car companies (because we'd tick the box on everything and sell nothing at a profit).

But you know what? I reckon the Camaro would sell in sufficient numbers any way. If local conversion companies can make a business case by converting cars to right-hand-drive locally and selling them for $120,000, then surely Holden can bring them in and sell them at $65,000 -- our estimated price based on likely exchange rates, that is, licking a finger and putting it in the air.

If there is one car that deserves to take advantage of the Free Trade Agreement with North America, it's the Camaro which at least has some Australian ancestry. Instead we get boatloads of US made BMW and Mercedes 4WDs. And bloody Chrysler Jeeps!

This argument may sound as shallow as "it's the constitution, it's Mabo, it's the vibe", but we reckon it's downright un-Australian not to bring the Camaro Down Under. There. We said it.

We're not going to be in the doldrums forever. And, to be frank, why should the Americans have all the fun with this car?

The Camaro, based on the underpinnings of the current generation Commodore, is as Australian as a meat pie, having been designed and developed locally even though it is made in Canada.

Heck, even the handbrake is still on the right-hand-side of the console even though it is a left-hand-drive car (although it doesn't get the Commodore's clumsy handbrake, it gets a conventional lever, yay!).

So clearly, the Camaro was always destined to be built both in left- and right-hand-drive but the program for right-hand-drive models was put on hold indefinitely when things went awry and someone on Wall St stuffed up big time.

Well, GM, it's time to dust off those old prototypes and do what's right (pun intended) with Camaro.

Eagle-eyed car lovers for the past two years have spotted camouflaged Camaros beating a path on the highways and backroads of Australia while they clocked up some development miles. Now it's time for Holden engineers to drive a bunch of Camaro mules that don't have "caution left hand drive" stickers across the back.

The engineers clearly have done a good job with the left-hook versions. Even a rental car Camaro felt amazing (despite the flogging every driver presumably gives it). Imagine a Commodore that feels more agile and more taut to drive and you've got the Camaro.

The sleek roofline means it has a lower centre of gravity and the stubby nose and tail means there's less weight flailing about beyond the wheels, and so it steers even more sharply than our best handling Commodore. The super-wide and super sticker Pirelli tyres (the same used on AMG Benzes) also help, as do the amazing Brembo brakes.

Sure, there are some things not to like about the Camaro. The pocket-protector wearers may not like firm-ish low-speed ride, the restricted rear visibility, small boot opening, small sun visors, some hard cabin plastics and (my favourite criticism for coupes) restricted back seat headroom and legroom. Sure it's tight in there but no-one buys a look-at-me Camaro to shuttle people around.

This is as selfish as the automobile gets. This is not a rational purchase. But that never hurt Porsche, and they seem to be able to turn a good dollar out of each car they build.

Please Holden, GM, Barack Obama, bring the Camaro Down Under. Work out the price and then add $5000 contingency per car for currency fluctuations.

If the exchange rate works in your favour, bank it as extra profit or pay some of it back to the Federal Government. If the currency turns pear shaped, which it probably will at some point, well you're already prepared for it.

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