It seems there’s always something new to say about the Camaro and Mustang, even though their duel has been going strong since the 1960s.
There have been few breaks in the rivalry over the decades, and now it may be more intense than ever.
The newest Camaro and Mustang are arguably the best these cars have ever been. Both vehicles continue to rocket out of dealer doors as they grow faster, stronger, and more nimble with every passing model year.
The Mustang has outsold the Camaro for nearly two years, but a brand new Camaro and an aging Mustang have swapped positions for the first time in 22 months.
Can the Camaro hold onto the sales crown?
A funny—but unsurprising—thing consistently happens in the Mustang and Camaro sales race. When one car enters a brand new generation, the other wraps up its previous generation. That sends buyers flocking to the newest and best car until the other one releases its all-new iteration.
That’s the case right now with the Camaro. The 2017 Camaro is an absolute rock star on the roads. With a wide range of trim levels and pricing, it can be had with up to 650 horsepower and can handle mountain curves as easily as interstate straightaways.
The numbers might not be what they seem, though, and Ford may have little reason to worry. An article at The Truth About Cars says,
With inventory on the departing 2016 models too strong, GM responded with a Camaro price cut. (GM currently offers interest-free financing over six years for most 2016 Camaros.) And then, as 2017 Camaros came on stream, GM also sliced away at the new model year’s pricing scheme.
The result of more attractive prices: the Chevrolet Camaro outsold the Ford Mustang by 148 units in September 2016. Though it was a tiny margin caused more by the Mustang’s 32-percent dive than the Camaro’s 25-percent increase, the Camaro’s September victory still marks a sharp turnaround from the 4,210-unit margin of victory the Mustang scored at this stage of 2015.
The Mustang’s decline in sales might be attributed to the phenomenon mentioned above. The 2017 Mustang is a carryover of the version that arrived for 2015. The 2018 car should help Ford reclaim the sales title.
Ford wants everyone to be clear that its sports car is second to none. On its Facebook page yesterday, Ford posted this:
No wonder Mustang has been America’s #1 selling sports car for 45 years.
While the Camaro continues to improve with every new generation, it’s pretty clear that the Mustang remains king.
If you were to buy an American sports car today, would it be the Mustang, Camaro, or something else?
-tgriffith
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