Will Chevrolet Have to Build More Camaro Z/28s

 

2014 Camaro Z/28 - SOLD OUT

 
It wasn't too hard for Chevrolet to sell all of their 500 brand new 2014 Camaro Z/28s. Now with no more for car enthusiast to get their hands on this year, Chevrolet is faced with the question of, "Do They Build More?" 

Building more will definitely help the already popular Z/28 trending well into next year, but for the lucky owners of the first 500 units, it will take away from the rareness factor that Chevrolet was shooting for and probably what owners were counting on. Although the chances of Chevrolet building more Camaro Z/28s this year is probably slim to none, next year's plans for more than just 500 being built to meet demands is highly possible.

Camaro Chief Engineer, Al Oppenheiser, has said that next year could possibly see the likes of 2,500 units being built depending on demand and whether or not they decide to build more this year and if they do launch a project like that this year how it ends up panning out.

So unless you have been living under a rock for the last year and a half, you probably know what the 2014 Z/28 is all about. But I don't think anyone really expected this $75,000.00 Camaro would sell out so fast. If Chevrolet decides to build more this year, or ramp up the amount built next year, it's pretty hard to believe that they could lose on their decisions.

$1. Million 2015 Corvette ZO6

The Million Dollar Ticket

At the Barrett Jackson Auction on Sat. (4/13/2014) the bright yellow 2015 Corvette ZO6 made some history on the auction block. VIN #0001 put up for a charity to benefit Cancer Research was bought by very-well know race team owner Jimmy Hendrick.

Hendrick had good reason for purchasing the ZO6, his life was threatened by Cancer and was saved due to the process of Cancer Research Treatment. This Corvette adds to his already impressive collection of Chevy sports cars.

The day before at the Barret Jackson Auction, Hendricks auctioned off his 2014 Camaro Z/28 for a nice round price of $500,000., that money also made its way to charity.

In the last two years, Chevrolet vehicles have brought in a huge amount of money for charities at the auctions. Cars like the COPO Camaro, COPO convertible and the first 2014 Z/28 have been able to pull in huge sums of money for good causes. GOOD CARS for GOOD REASONS.

2001 Mallett Hammer Z06: Pulled from the Corvette Museum Sinkhole

The Last Corvette Pulled From the Sinkhole at the Bowling Green Kentucky Corvette Museum



It was a sad looking piece of crumbled up steel when this Corvette was pulled from the sinkhole. What was once a red customized Vette that was fitted with a roll-bar, no longer resembled its original form.

Kevin and Linda Helmintoller were the original owners of the vehicle and spent 10 years customizing it before donating it to the Corvette Museum just a few months earlier before the sinkhole incident. Although General Motors executives have said that all eight Corvettes would be restored back to their original condition, this last one may be the exception.

When Kevin Helmintoller found out it was time for the Mallett Hammer Corvette to be retrieved, he drove up from Florida to witness it and told the museum staff this, "I expected bad, but it's 100 times worse ......  it looks like a piece of tin foil... and it had a roll cage in it! It makes all the other cars look like they're brand new."

So what will Corvette do to restore this particular victim of the collapsed sinkhole? Probably nothing, they will probably keep the last vehicle as a reminder of the horrible accident that occurred that day. Never the less, all eight Corvettes that were damaged in the wreckage will be on display at the museum through the month of August.

Chevrolet Displays Their Prize Possession's for Detroit Baseball

It All Starts at Comerica Park

Detroit baseball fans come to the Motor City to see All-Star players like Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander. These players attract about 3 million fans annually to Comerica Park and many more that watch them on t.v. So what better place for Chevrolet to advertise a few of their nicest pieces of work than the city of GM's own headquarters, Detroit. 

Chevrolet is the official sponsor of the MLB, also for the past five years they have posted vehicles like the Camaro, Malibu, and the Equinox in the outfield for all of the league and fans to see. 

But this year there is a twist, instead of two vehicles that are non-salable, pre-production vehicles -- the production Topaz Blue full-size Silverado and the Crystal Red Metallic Equinox crossover (mid-size SUV) that will be on display, will also be salable production vehicles that will go up for auction at the end of the year.

I think I might be willing to shell out a few extra bucks at an auction if one of the Chevrolet vehicles I was bidding on had a nice little baseball dent in the fender due to a walk-off home run from one of my favorite players. Especially if the Detroit Tigers do what a lot of experts are predicting, another playoff run to the World Series.

In the end, it is a great place for Chevrolet to advertise. And to complete the Chevrolet display, there is a water fountain that sprays out a water show and a recording of a huge tiger's roar every time a Detroit Tiger hits a home run.

Two Classic Corvettes That Could Go for $1 Million Apiece at Auction

In January of this year, a 1967 L88 Corvette showed up on the auction block at the world famous Barrett-Jackson auto auction. This '67 L88 was specially built for a General Motors executive and was produced as the only known L88 from that year with a red-on-red color combination. It was in such good shape with paper work to match it fetched $3.8 million.

The stipulation of that Corvette is much the same as two Corvettes that will be rolling across the auction block at the Mecum Auto Auction (Houston, April 10-12, 2014).

The first Corvette that might fetch some big numbers is an one-off 1963 Corvette Sting Ray convertible styling car that was built for General Motors Chevrolet Division General Manager Semon “Bunkie” Knudsen. Now owned by his son, Bernie Knudesn, this rare Corvette stands out from the rest with huge, unique chromed out side-pipes, on a special Crimsom Firefrost Metallic red with white strips. The interior was modified from the factory with 1964 interior components and styling. The seats were covered in Naugahdye and were chic-white with maroon stripes.

Underneath the hood is a 327 cubic-inch motor with plenty of chrome plating and crinkle black finish to take the place of the cast-iron look.

“All of Knudsen’s cars came in this color, and I’m sure he was out and about showing it off often,” says Mecum consignment director John Kraman, who says that this car could reach the $1 million mark. “It’s a real automotive landmark that has special panache.”

The other Corvette that will probably fetch some big numbers was so pampered it has never even hosted a passenger, and there is only three known people that have ever sat in it. This 1967 Corvette Sting Ray that only has 2,996 org. miles on it is so nice it probably belongs in the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

It has only had one owner, who passed away in 2011. Don McNamra was a United State Marine, he struck a big payday in Las Vegas where he took his winnings and bought this '67 Sting Ray. McNamara lived in Colorado Springs, he never married and lived a very private life. At one point, sometime during the '80s, he denied even owning the rare Corvette to keep a low profile. Legend has it that the small amount of miles on the vehicle were mostly put on during late night cruises.

These Corvettes may not bring a $3.8 million price tag like the Barrett-Jackson L88 Corvette, but they could easily be some of the Mecum's highest auctioned cars of the weekend, maybe even of all time. One thing that will hurt the Corvettes is that the Mecum auto auction doesn't bring in as many high-profile bidders like the Barett-Jackson auctions often do.

“It’s a great color scheme (white with a red stripe) and must be the absolute best second-generation Sting Ray in the country,” says Kraman, who believes this Corvette could also see the $1 million mark. “The first thing that jumps out at you is how different an original car feels from a restored one. This is what it must have looked like in the showroom, down to the whitewall tires.”

New 2014 GTO Judge (6T9 Goat)

The GTO Judge goes back a long way, all the way back to the muscle car era. After being dropped out of production in 1974, the GTO was just another muscle car that didn't survive. But Pontiac brought it back for 2004, '05, and '06 before dropping it again due to marketing issues and poor sales.

Like with the Trans Am, the GTO Judge still has die-hard fans who still want to see vehicles produced with the famous badges and colors that we all know and love.

Two brothers, Tod and Scott Warmack and Jim Dowling from Tallahassee, Fl. felt the same way about the Pontiac brand. So with the same love and respect that other Pontiac fans had, they started up a Trans Am program ran from their Tallahassee shop known as the Trans Am Depot. To this day they are the only company that is allowed to use the Trans Am moniker.


The company started creating awesome versions of what the Trans Am would have looked like if they were still in production today and then sold them. Needless to say, they looked great and made a big hit. Now the Trans Am Depot is venturing out into the business of making a 2014 GTO Judge or what the Trans Depot calls it "6T9 Goat."

Just like with the Trans Am, they will be mocked up by using the '10 Camaro frame and body. Different bumpers, quarter-panels, hoods, spoilers, rims and interior styling, as well as other components, are implicated to differentiate the GTO Judge from the Camaro and Trans Am.

What do they have for power?

The GTO will get a supercharged 600rwhp, 600lb-ft of torque LS3, with 12 pounds of boost and SLP long-tube headers.

The 2014 GTO Judge and Trans Am are available for order, just contact the boys at the Trans Am Depot and get your dream car started.

2014 Corvette's Price Rises $2,000

If you have already ordered your Corvette Stingray you are safe from the price jack, but if you have been sitting back and waiting for the right moment you can now expect to pay an extra $2,000 for the good looking, great selling sportscar.

General Motors decided with such great success so far selling the beauties it was time to try to squeeze a little more out consumers. The Stingray coupe will move from $51,995, including destination, to $53,995. The convertible gets a similar price jack, from $56,995 to $58,995.

The Z51 Performance Package will also see an increases of $1,200 to level out the final package price to $4,000. So if you are looking to get into a base coupe with a Z51 package, you will end up paying $57,995, and if you opt out for a convertible you will find yourself buying one for about $62,995.

March 1st is when the change took place. A spokesmen for Chevrolet has confirmed that there is no need to worry about any orders purchased prior to that, as they will honor the original price even if it has not yet made it into the owners possessions yet.

Corvette is still on the top-ten fastest selling vehicle list of this winter according to  cars.com. Even with the $2,000 increase, one can only image that this will have no effect on sales. The redesigned 2014 Stingray has been a hit every since its debut at the 2013 North American Auto Show.

Even with the $2,000 price jack, the Stingray still puts out performance and comfort with a price tag that can not be matched by any other car on the market.