Despite Shortages, GM on Pace to Produce 26K C8 Corvettes This Model Year
Since C8 Corvette production resumed in June, over 17,000 2021 models have left Bowling Green, including a few pre-production Z06 models.
If you’ve been waiting for your 2021 C8 Corvette, you know it’s been a rough road thus far. A lot of the rough travel’s been due to semiconductor shortages, which have affected nearly every automaker. In fact, those shortages brought Bowling Green down for three weeks in May, thus bringing Corvette production to a halt.
However, the silver lining in the shutdown allowed GM to build back up all the bits it needs to resume production of America’s sports car in June. As this month draws to a close, Corvette Blogger took a look at the numbers to date. Seems things are looking as bright as the summer sun.
As of June 24, a total of 17,052 C8 Corvette coupes and convertibles made it through Bowling Green’s assembly line. According to Corvette Blogger, the biggest day of production since restarting June 7 was 196 models. Meanwhile, the lowest number of ‘Vettes built totaled 157. June 24 saw 173 built, near the average of 178.4 for the month thus far.
In addition to the 2021 production, though, a handful of pre-production Z06 Corvettes also came together. Alas, it’ll be a while until a production-ready C8 Z06 does the same. As reported by GM Authority earlier in June, delays from the ebbing global pandemic have pushed the new Z06 back to the 2023 model year. Of course, this only means GM can better tune up one of the hottest ‘Vettes expected in the C8 Era.
Alas, more than a few C8 Corvette hopefuls will likely end up on the list for a 2022 model. As Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter told Muscle Cars and Trucks, those whose orders reached event code 3000 or above are guaranteed to receive their cars by the end of 2021 production. This is to prevent what happened in 2020, when some 11,000 customers wound up in the front of the line for the 2021 model year due to the pandemic shutdown.
Once things return to normal in 2022, though, the C8 Corvette party will likely go into overdrive, relative to 2020 and 2021. Until then, production for 2021 is forecasted to crest at over 26,000 by the week of September 6, the likely end of the 2021 model year.
Photos: Chevrolet
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