The C8 Corvette has been a phenomenal success for General Motors and demand remains higher than ever. Unfortunately, this latest generation Chevy Corvette got off to a rocky production start. There was the five-week-long UAW strike that began in September 2019 and, only a few months later, the onset of the coronavirus pandemic forced factory shutdowns for a significant amount of time.
The Bowling Green, Kentucky Corvette Assembly plant has done its best to maintain a steady production rate. The latest supplier issue situation has caused additional delays; only three C8s were built the week before last. These circumstances have forced GM to make a difficult decision.
According to the Corvette Action Center, 2021 Corvette production is now officially over. Instead of beginning one last production round this week, the factory will begin building the 2022 model in early September.
A memo just sent to all Chevy dealers states the following: "In order to maintain start of production for the 2022 model year Corvette Stingray in late Q3, and as a result of continued unplanned part shortages not related to the industry-wide semiconductor availability issues, General Motors has had to make an adjustment in the number of Corvette Stingrays available for the 2021 model year. As a result, we are withdrawing our June "Outlook" estimate as published in the most recent allocation guide. We are not planning on canceling any accepted 2021 model year Corvette Stingray orders."
What does this mean for customers who placed orders after the March 26 cut-off but haven't taken delivery yet? They won't get a 2021 Corvette but rather a 2022 model. They'll also have to wait even longer to get their cars. This is an incredibly frustrating situation for GM, the factory, and buyers alike, but the industry has not fully recovered to pre-pandemic normalcy. Dealers have continued to accept orders but they've made it clear to customers the expected delivery time was liable to change.
The good news is that anyone who wants a C8 will get a C8. No significant updates are planned for 2022 so the worst part about this is, again, later than planned driving fun.