Canadians Prefer the Ford Mustang Over the Chevy Camaro

If you’ve been paying attention to the muscle cars wars between Ford and Chevy, likely you already know that the Camaro is poised to out-sell the Mustang for the first time since pretty much anyone can remember. The opposite is true in Canada, where our neighbors to the North have a noted preference to the Mustang, despite the fact that that the Camaro is built at GM’s Oshawa, Ontario plant.

So far in 2010, Chevy has moved a total of 75,685 Camaros in the United States, compared to Ford having sold 68,264 Mustangs. Ask any Chevy representative and they’ll be quick to point out that the Camaro is on top despite the fact that it’s only offered as a coupe, while with the Mustang consumers can also get a convertible, or a high-performance Shelby GT500.

The numbers are very much the reverse in Canada and with a population roughly one-tenth the size of the U.S., Ford Canada moved 4,935 Detroit-made Mustangs, compared to GM Canada selling 3,974 Canadian Camaros.

Chevy intends to flip those statistics around, however, with the launch of the Camaro Convertible in 2011. Chevy spokesman David Caldwell explains that despite Canada’s colder climate, convertible models make up roughly half of the sales in a segment like this, whereas in the U.S. convertible sales make up just 15 to 20 percent. Canadians, apparently, view any high-performance rear-drive vehicle as summer-only car, opting to park sports cars in the winter instead of driving them. Their purchasing decision is reflected by that, opting for convertible models that allow them to fully experience the summer months.

[Source: NYT]