GM abandons IROCZ Trademark and kills hope for a cool Camaro comeback

GM abandons IROCZ Trademark and kills hope for a cool Camaro comeback
This is yet another nail in the coffin of slow-selling Chevy.

The future of the Chevrolet Camaro is in doubt. rumors about a cancellation have been replaced by this bit of information from GM Authority: GM has dropped its trademark for IROC-Z. The Camaro IROC is a vehicle that has been reimagined many times over the years. It was believed that Chevrolet might revive the name for a special-edition Camaro. However, this is not the case.

Keeping Camaro Alive:

The following is the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), GM dropped the trademark on July 25, after having filed for it on October 15, 2018, The automaker apparently let the name slip after the last IROC-Z Camaro was rolled off the assembly lines for the 1990 model year. IROC was not a name that came from GM. It was an acronym for the International Race Of Champions, a U.S.-based racing series where drivers raced in identically-prepared cars. The action was mostly on NASCAR superspeedways. As such, the majority of the drivers were NASCAR drivers. The series was started in 1974 by the Porsche 911 Carrera RSR. In 1990, the Chevrolet Camaro was the IROC vehicle of choice. At that point, it was replaced by the Dodge Daytona.

Another IROC-Z trademark, which is still active at USPTO complicates the name issue. 6LE Design, a California-based aftermarket automotive company, filed the trademark in May 2017. However GM Authority indicates that this outfit has gone bankrupt. Although we don’t know the current owner, does not own it.

Camaro’s Uncertain Future

The sixth-generation pony car sales have plummeted since its launch for the 2016 model year. This is because it was faceplanted more than a skateboarder on FailArmy. The Camaro had its worst year since 2010, when the moniker was reinstated. This year looks even worse. We’ve been told that the revived Z/28 Camaro will be cancelled. This is in addition to the imminent demise of the entire Camaro line, once the sixth-generation finishes its run. We feel the car must continue to live on, particularly now that GM has moved the Corvetteinto supercar territory with the mid-engined 2020 Stingray.

Our View on the Current Camaro Situation

GM has remained largely non-committal throughout the rumors, with no comment on future plans. This suggests that the Camaro’s demise is not imminent.