REAL LOVE
William Gock, senior editor of Rides magazine, which has featured celebrities and their cars, said the popularity of the Mustang, Challenger and Camaro has stood the test of time.
“The continuation and revival of these cares are, of course, welcomed by fans of American muscle, but their appeal is universal,” said Gock. “Like sneaker giant Nike has already proved, a new twist on a proven classic rarely fails.”
While a lot of the cars being featured in movies today are the result of product placement deals, they still work because the cars are already perceived as cool, noted Hartge.
Adding to the popularity of the cars has been their affordability over the years.
The first Mustangs sold for less than $2500, which was considerably less expensive than a number of other cars on the market.
Even today, the costs of the Camaro, Mustang and Challenger are very reasonable, considering their appeal. All three have a base price around $25,000, give or take a few hundred.
To date, more than 8 million Mustangs have been sold since the first in 1964, and currently there’s a waiting list for the new Camaro.
Granted, with all the talk about “Going Green” and a need for more fuel efficient vehicles, public praise for Detroit’s muscle icons might not be as frequent as it was years ago when the craze for roaring big engines and burn-outs was at its height.
In fact, at one point it was rumored that Chevy was considering nixing plans to even manufacture the new Camaro due to the timing of the car’s launch with concerns about fuel efficiency and GM’s economic woes.
Imagine that, considering how popular the new model is today as well as its counterparts, the Mustang and Challenger.
It’s hard to imagine not having any one of these cars around now considering the popularity of both the new and old models. And that’ll be even more evident this weekend if you’re anywhere near Woodward Avenue.
Count on it.
Marcus Amick is a national automotive analyst and lifestyle marketing consultant.
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