Oshawa Assembly Plant Celebrates Start of Production of the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible
• Employees joined by Rick Hendrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. to receive first vehicles sold
The Oshawa Assembly Plant today celebrated the start of regular production of the hotly-anticipated 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible in a ceremony with employees and invited guests.
“This is an exciting new chapter in the ongoing revival of the tremendously popular Chevrolet Camaro,” said Kevin Williams, president and managing director of GM of Canada. “The launch of the new convertible opens Camaro design and performance to a new set of enthusiastic customers, while further demonstrating the flexible capabilities of the award-winning Oshawa Assembly Plant.”
The Chevrolet Camaro Convertible is the second of three new vehicles being launched in Oshawa since last September, and two new shifts have been added to support this additional production.
“The entire team here at Oshawa Assembly is dedicated to bringing this stunning vehicle to market with outstanding quality,” stated Dan Hermer, plant manager at the Oshawa Assembly Plant.
“New product mandates like the Camaro Convertible are testaments to the calibre of the workforce in Oshawa,” added Chris Buckley, president of the Canadian Auto Workers Local 222.
Employees were joined by Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports, to celebrate the milestone. Hendrick, a Camaro enthusiast who purchased the first 2010 Camaro Coupe that rolled off the line, has now also purchased the first Camaro Convertible available for public sale. In both cases, Rick Hendrick acquired the purchase rights through the Barrett-Jackson auction, with all proceeds benefitting local charities.
“I grew up loving the Chevrolet brand, and I’ve never raced anything else,” Hendrick said. “As a Chevy enthusiast, it’s been exciting to see the Camaro return as such a world-class, high-performance car. The folks in Oshawa make some of the best products on the road, so the opportunity to meet them and thank them for what they do is a real privilege.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr., a driver for Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, was also present at the celebration and added, “Chevrolet has been a great partner on and off the track, and I’m very happy to be here on this special day. While I still enjoy my 1972 Camaro, I can’t wait to take home one of these awesome new convertibles.”
The 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, with an MSRP starting at $33,995, will be on sale at local Chevrolet dealerships across Canada starting in February.