CRG Discussion Forum
Camaro Research Group Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: william on July 04, 2020, 03:06:05 PM
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https://www.streetmusclemag.com/features/four-decades-of-fun/
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That was cool ....thanks William.
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Yes, thank you for sharing.
Carbs in cages- Funny
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A small group of hourly and salaried employees from the Van Nuys Assembly Plant were assembled to come up with ideas for a RS Camaro, with Hank Haga, Director of the GM Advanced Concepts Center in nearby Newbury Park, heading the team. Hank was previously the head of the Chevrolet Design Studio #2, which developed the original Camaro:
https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/how-chevrolet-created-the-camaro-to-take-on-fords-mustang/
Hank was a great guy and would always drive to the Van Nuys Plant in a new Firebird Trans Am. The aim of the RS Camaro was to increase sales in California. I was fortunate to be on the team and wanted the RS Camaro to use the P235/60 tires from the 1986 Z28, but we ended up using P215/65 tires due to the cost. Hank was a real automotive enthusiast and told me that he used to vintage race his 250 LM Ferrari while working at GM in Europe, but always worried if he blew-up the engine at high speed that the oil would cover the rear tires as the LM was mid-engine and he would crash. Hank sold the Ferrari when he moved to Encino, CA and bought a very nice home. Unfortunately, Hank passed away from cancer in 1988.
When the next generation Camaro/Firebird was being planned, marketing estimated that sales would be no more than 140,000 vehicles per year and as GM needed 200,000 vehicles to be produced at Van Nuys in order to make a profit, it was decided to close the plant and move production to Canada. - Mark
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A small group of hourly and salaried employees from the Van Nuys Assembly Plant were assembled to come up with ideas for a RS Camaro, with Hank Haga, Director of the GM Advanced Concepts Center in nearby Newbury Park, heading the team. Hank was previously the head of the Chevrolet Design Studio #2, which developed the original Camaro:
https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/how-chevrolet-created-the-camaro-to-take-on-fords-mustang/
Hank was a great guy and would always drive to the Van Nuys Plant in a new Firebird Trans Am. The aim of the RS Camaro was to increase sales in California. I was fortunate to be on the team and wanted the RS Camaro to use the P235/60 tires from the 1986 Z28, but we ended up using P215/65 tires due to the cost. Hank was a real automotive enthusiast and told me that he used to vintage race his 250 LM Ferrari while working at GM in Europe, but always worried if he blew-up the engine at high speed that the oil would cover the rear tires as the LM was mid-engine and he would crash. Hank sold the Ferrari when he moved to Encino, CA and bought a very nice home. Unfortunately, Hank passed away from cancer in 1988.
When the next generation Camaro/Firebird was being planned, marketing estimated that sales would be no more than 140,000 vehicles per year and as GM needed 200,000 vehicles to be produced at Van Nuys in order to make a profit, it was decided to close the plant and move production to Canada. - Mark
What years did you work there?
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bcmiller - I worked at the Van Nuys Plant from 1978 to 1986, although I still visited the facility as I was a GM employee until 1989. Just drove my 1979 Trans Am around the neighborhood, which was built while I worked at Van Nuys, although I'm not the original owner as it has the 400 Pontiac engine, which was not available in California.