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Should Ford Worry? Camaro Outsells Mustang

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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 a few breaks in the rivalry over the decades, but it is quite possibly at its peak right now.

The newest Camaro and Mustang are arguably the best either car has 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 sales crown has belonged to the Mustang for much of the last two years, but a brand new Camaro and an aging Mustang have tipped the scale for the first time in 22 months.

Can the Camaro hold onto the sales crown?

A funny, but not unexpected, thing consistently happens in the Mustang and Camaro sales race. When one car is entering a brand new generation, the other is wrapping up a previous iteration. That sends buyers flocking to the newest and best car, at least until the other one releases its all-new generation.

That’s the case right now with the Camaro. The 2017 Camaro is an absolute rock star of the roads. With a wide range of trim levels and pricing, it can be had with up to 650-hp 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 no one. 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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from The CarGurus Blog http://bit.ly/2ddOInf
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