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Post by Elim_Garak #42 on Mar 8, 2007 12:18:54 GMT -6
Chevy to scrap Monte Carlo...again? Inside Line has confirmed with supplier sources that production of the Chevrolet Monte Carlo will cease at the end of the 2007 model year. That means the last Monte Carlo will roll off the line sometime this summer. In recent years, the Monte Carlo has been one of General Motors' biggest successes on the NASCAR stock-car racing circuit. But the two-door companion to the Chevrolet Impala sedan has not resonated with the buying public.(Edmunds.com), it was announced in October 2006 that Chevy would be going to the Impala for Car of Tomorrow [COT] races
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Post by Diamondback on Mar 9, 2007 2:16:50 GMT -6
Someone had mentioned that all of the COT's would be carrying new bodies, and I took a wait-and-see attitude. Manufacturers, particularly Chevrolet, have played musical chairs with templates before. (MC in the 80's, Lumina in '91, back to MC in '95.) The fact that they are stopping production, however, leads me to believe that once the COT becomes the racing standard, we will have seen the last Monte Carlo, much like Ford and the Thunderbird.
Honestly, I don't find it surprising at all that the Monte Carlo wasn't a big seller. It was pretty freaking expensive for a two door sedan. It's been a while since I've looked, but the last time I did roll onto a Chevy lot, a lot of the optional equipment that jacked up the sticker price on a Monte Carlo came standard on a "rival's" comparable sedan, at about $6K less.
I think it goes just a tad deeper, however. When Joe Bloe is paying $3/gallon for gasoline, he wants to go farther than 20 miles on that gallon, and the major auto makers are slow to catch on. So much so that it's causing shrinking profits due to slow sales, and loss of jobs due to plant closings. The Imports, however, are rushing to fill that gap. Just over the last few years, Alabama has seen an "industrial revolution" of sorts due to an increase in demand for foreign autos and auto parts. Mercedes Benz started the chain by building in Birmingham, and over the last year and a half Kia, Hyundai, and their suppliers have taken root in East Central Alabama, building several plants here in Opelika and in Montgomery. There are more on the way, too. I missed a recent rumor that another manufacturer or auto supplier is looking at Opelika, and Kia is already looking at expanding into the West Point area.
And it makes sense. They're comparably priced, just as reliable, and much more fuel efficient. I'm seeing a lot more of them roaming the streets, too.
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