GM confirmed in September 2001 that 2002 would be the F-body's last year. The send-off was a 35th Anniversary package (Bright Rally Red, checkered-flag stripes). Production stopped August 27, 2002 — because the architecture couldn't meet a federal head-impact standard taking effect September 1. The last car was a red Z/28 convertible, preserved in GM's Heritage Collection; the plant closed and was demolished in 2004.
For this model year, CamaroFacts separates documented changes from production totals that remain secondary or unresolved. The engine, identification, and confidence notes below are intended to make those boundaries visible instead of smoothing them into a single unsupported narrative.