In short, there were better cars out there. The fourth-generation Chevrolet Camaro was introduced in 1993 with rear-wheel drive and six- and eight-cylinder options. A range-topping GTZ Coupe cost $17,000 in 1993, while the range-topping Camaro with a V8 cost $20,000. An entry-level six-cylinder Camaro sold for $16,300. Using an inflation calculator, a top-spec Beretta would sell for $36,000 today, while the Camaro would sell for $42,500. A base Camaro would be $34,700.
The Beretta also had to compete with American rivals like the Ford Mustang and Chrysler LeBaron, not to mention a host of Japanese sports cars, including the Acura Integra, Toyota Celica, and Nissan Pulsar.
You can also see the sales dwindle as people lost interest. The Beretta had its best year in 1988 when the V6 models were introduced. That year, Chevy sold 275,098 units. From there, the Beretta went on a downward spiral year-by-year (besides a slight uptick for the 1994 and 1995 model years) until it eventually sold only 42,476 units during its final year on sale. To put that in context, the fourth-gen Camaro sold 119,799 units during its 1994 model year. There was no need to have two 2+2 coupes on sale simultaneously, and Chevy obviously went with the model that made it the most money.
