Sales numbers are in for September, and it’s time for Chevy to pop the champagne corks. The Camaro crushed the Mustang in 2016 September sales, after almost two years of lagging behind. With the muscle-car war still going strong many, many, years after the battle first raged, this is sure to be depressing news for long-time Ford fans. The Mustang experienced a startling slump in sales and allowed the Camaro to take over — perhaps because people finally realized Ford is an acronym for Found On Road Dead. Whatever the reason, Chevy fans are probably doing doughnuts with their middle fingers proudly projected at any Mustang they come across while belly-laughing the entire time.
But, the champagne celebration and middle fingers won’t last long once Camaro fanatics see how the sales add up annually.
The Sales Numbers
Even if the Camaro still isn’t beating the Mustang in annual sales, Chevy deserves to celebrate this September victory. In the U.S. this year, Ford has sold about 87,258 Mustangs to date. Pouring salt in the recently opened wound of Chevy fanatics, the Mustang even experienced a 9.3-percent drop in sales compared to this time last year. The current annual sale of Chevy’s Camaro? About 54,535 — which is already down 11 percent from last year.
There is also the fact that the Camaro has been bested in annual sales for almost 24 years straight, with the exception of a beautifully executed riposte in 2010, when the Camaro was reintroduced to the market.
But, not all hope is lost. The Camaro still has a chance to prolong this hard-earned victory; here’s why.
Triumph is Possible Again — At Least, for October…
With the exception of that slump in Ford Mustang sales, which was so bad it forced them to halt production in their Flat Rock, Michigan assembly plant for a week, the Camaro has the élan for one last bout with its historic rival.
This victorious momentum can be taken advantage of, and possibly followed through until October, thanks to the discount the Camaro currently has on offer. Across the Camaro lineup, an average of $3,409 per car is being discounted. The Mustang? Only an average incentive of $2,602. Couple that with the fact that the Mustang plant in Michigan will finally be back in operation on October 17th, and the Camaro might just see another victory in monthly sales for October since all Camaro plants are currently up and running.
Even if loyalties are fierce for the Camaro and Mustang supporters, those either looking to convert (or just getting into the muscle car scene) are going to evaluate quality and price, rather than focusing on the trash-talking either side has to offer.
With that in mind, the 2016 Camaro is a great looking car, and it’s truly a quality vehicle. Combine that with the incentive that’s almost $1,000 better than the one presented by Mustang, and Chevy might be able to celebrate again in October.
