The week of March 24th, 2023 closed out what’s been one of the more eventful months in recent automotive memory. Big nameplate news, a classic British brand with growth ambitions, and a state legislature making things harder for EV upstarts — here’s the rundown.
The Chevy Camaro’s end of production was confirmed this week, and it stings in a way that even casual car fans will feel. The Camaro has been a part of the American automotive landscape for decades, representing everything good about the traditional muscle car formula — affordable performance, rear-wheel drive, big engine options, and a lineage that connects to some genuinely iconic moments in car culture. GM’s decision to shut it down is driven by the EV transition and the need to allocate factory capacity toward platforms with a future in the electrified world. That’s logical. It still hurts.
Land Rover, meanwhile, is signaling that it wants to expand its lineup rather than contract it. The brand has been on a quality and desirability upswing in recent years after a rough stretch of reliability complaints tarnished its reputation. With strong demand for its current Range Rover, Defender, and Discovery models, the ambition to add more variants or distinct nameplates makes business sense — as long as the engineering and quality control that’s been improving doesn’t get stretched too thin in the process.
Mississippi made headlines for less optimistic reasons, with the state taking legislative action that complicates or restricts the direct-to-consumer sales model that EV startups like Rivian and others depend on. The ongoing battle between EV brands and traditional dealership lobby groups plays out differently state by state, but Mississippi’s move is a significant obstacle for any startup trying to build a direct sales footprint in the region. The dealership protection laws that exist across the country are a major structural challenge for any company trying to disrupt the traditional buying experience.
It’s worth stepping back to appreciate just how much turbulence the industry has absorbed in March alone. A major American icon discontinued, supply chain pressures still lingering, state-by-state regulatory battles shaping EV futures, and traditional brands reinventing themselves simultaneously. The pace of change hasn’t slowed — if anything, it’s accelerating.