The Next Camaro Could Bring the Chevy Bowtie to Australia

With the end of Australian production of the Holden Commodore, General Motors high performance fans effectively lost their top muscle car. The Aussie-built, rear-wheel drive Commodore is being replaced by a new front-wheel drive platform with available all-wheel drive, so the new Holden sedan will likely fall short of offering the driving dynamics of the RWD Commodore.

The good news for GM performance fans Down Under is that there have been rumors that the next generation Chevrolet Camaro will be built in the right-hand drive configuration required for use on Australian roads. When those RHD Camaro rumors have been discussed, it has been speculated that it would be called the Holden Camaro – as Chevrolet does not have any brand presence in that Aussie market. However, Holden Director of Communications Sean Poppitt recently spoke with Australian out The Motor Report and during that talk, he stated that the Camaro could come to Australia with Chevy badges.

A Chevy Camaro in Australia
While it seems like a no-brainer to Americans that the Chevrolet Camaro would be called the Chevrolet Camaro in the Australian market, it should be noted that the Chevrolet brand is not marketed in Australia. As a brand, Chevrolet has little-to-no market presence along with no dealer network, which is why it was expected that the Camaro would be badged as a Holden.

While Chevrolet might not have a brand presence with the general Aussie auto community, performance car fans know the Chevrolet Camaro. Calling the next gen Camaro a Chevrolet – or at least leaving the Bowtie badges on the next Camaro in the Australian market – would allow gearheads to buy the legendary Chevrolet Camaro. This approach likely wouldn’t work out as well with a vehicle like the Traverse, but with the legendary Chevy Camaro, the Bowtie badges will make more sense.

A Camaro wearing Chevy Bowtie badges might not lead to a full-scale introduction of the Chevrolet brand for the Aussie market, but there have also been rumors that the Corvette will also become available Down Under. It seems unlikely that GM would ever call the Corvette anything but a Chevrolet, so the Bowtie brand could be rolled out in Australia as a performance lineup with the legendary Camaro and Corvette.

In any case, Australian GM performance fans need a new car and the Camaro seems like the perfect fit with the current popularity of the Ford Mustang. GM will need to begin building the car with a right-drive layout, but there is really no question whether or not a Camaro would sell Down Under. Mustang sales have been strong since the new car was introduced, so with an obvious interest in American muscle cars – the Aussie market is ready for a Chevrolet Camaro.