Due to a 53% drop in the sales of sports cars, General Motors yesterday announced it would be ceasing production of the Chevrolet Camaro by the end of the year. The rise in demand of Sport Utility Vehicles in recent years led to the sharp decline of sports car marketability.

The Camaro was first introduced by Chevrolet in 1967 as a big engine muscle car. It evolved into a sleek sports car in the early 1980s when a boom in sales of speedy two-door automobiles swept the United States.

The final 2002 model Camaro will be a special 35th anniversary model according to General Motors.

In 1978, the Camaro sold over 175,000 units, compared to 31,00 last year.