Long-standing muscle car rivals Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger, and Chevrolet Camaro have felt the squeeze of recent production issues. The Mustang has had a difficult year, with pricing and delays causing havoc for the pony car. However, it seems Mustang is ready to fight back against the Challenger and Camaro.

Mustang outsold Dodge Challenger and the Chevrolet Camaro

After Ford published its first-quarter sales figures, it is pretty clear that the Mustang won this time around. Ford reports having sold 13,986 Mustangs so far in 2022. CarBuzz is quick to point out that these figures do not include the Mach E or Mach E GT electric cars. Ford reports having sold 6,734 units of the electric vehicles.

CarBuzz says that Andrew Frick, Ford’s VP of Sales, cites the improvements in supply chain concerns. Frick claims that Ford experienced an in-transit inventory increase of 74 percent. The easing of the material issues, without doubt, boosted Ford’s sales of the Mustang.

How did Challenger and Camaro do in the fight against Mustang?

The Dodge Challenger came in second behind the Mustang, continuing the sales rivalry with the Ford Mustang. Stellantis managed to sell 11,124 Dodge Challengers, a figure that suggests that the Ford and the Dodge are still fighting. Additionally, CarBuzz points out that ‘Dodge Power Dollars’ may have positively impacted Challenger’s figures. Part of Challenger’s success has to be attributed to a loyal fan base who adores Dodge’s horsepower holdout mentality.

Camaro has had a rough time in recent years. In 2021, Ford and Dodge sold twice as many muscle cars as Chevrolet. This first-quarter sales report was not any kinder to Chevrolet’s Camaro hopes. GM sold just 6,710 of the Camaros, less than half of the Mustang Q1 numbers. That is especially sad, considering that GM will likely stop producing the Camaro after 2024. However, rumors suggest that the Camaro may live again as an electric performance SUV.

Mustang, Challenger, and Camaro are still facing issues

Semiconductor shortages have impacted much of the world’s car marks. While Ford cites having an easier time acquiring semiconductors than GM and Stellantis, the parent company of Dodge, no company is immune to the times. In addition to material shortages, delays in supply chains and world events often have detrimental effects on the big manufacturers. Russia currently produces most of the lithium-ion batteries we use in our vehicles. Additionally, Stellantis has manufacturing plants in Russia that will not continue production given the evolving crisis in Ukraine.

What does this mean for the future of the muscle car trinity?

With the end of the road for the ICE Camaro coming up fast, GM will have to think about the future of Chevrolet muscle. Furthermore, Dodge announced that it intends to build an electric muscle car. Finally, Ford has two electric vehicles bearing the Mustang badge already available for purchase. Clearly, electrification is the future of muscle cars, so let us enjoy the lumpy V8s before we can’t get them anymore.