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I was debating whether to put my allocation at Kerbeck or Macmulken or a local dealership. Currently Kerbeck has over 240 deposits. Are you better off to go with someone locally if they have an allocation? Does anyone have actual allocations yet? I got my C7 in last week of September of 2013 when I placed my order in July. It was the 1463rd one produced.
Basically no one has an allocation at this point, you would be getting on a waiting list, then when the dealer gets actual allocations you would advance on the list till your number is up.
The only people who have what would be considered "confirmed" allocations are: Rick Hendrick, Jay Leno, Mark Reuss, Ed Welburn and Bob Lutz.
Once you get to the retail level, allocations will be in proportion to 2018-2019 sales, and the top 100 dealers will get 60-70% of all the allocations, with Kerbeck at about 8% and MacMulkin at 6% of the total. If you spread out a 20,000 car production for model year 1, that means Kerbeck will be getting about 150/month and MacMulkin about 110. a dealer who only sold 10 C7's in 2018-19 might get 1 C8 and those dealers who sold less than 4, will likely get none. And, keep in mind if you dealer gets just 2 allocations, one could be anywhere in the first six month and the second one anytime in the second half of the year.
The more Corvettes the dealer sells the more allocations he gets. The problem is if your local dealer gets 20 C8's they will be spread out over the year. The big dealers who sell 300 plus will get their 300 but the 300th C8 will come later in the year, that said if your 285 on the list expect to get it 11 months after the 1st C8's hits he dealer
Go to your local dealer and see what # you will be on his list , good chance you will be in the top 5. I'm getting mine from my local dealer who sells about 30 per year.
The other issues are options and oonstraints. If you are willing to buy a 1LT black interior off the lot, you'll probably be in better position, but if you have your sights set on a particular color combination and option package you could be waiting awhile..
I remember the stories of people waiting months due to constraints on certain popular options. Z51 with the carbon fiber dash was one that comes to mind. Kerbeck sells more Vettes in a month than most dealers sell in a year. If you are going to be particular with the options you want (as most vette owners are) you are better off being #400 on Kerbeck's list than #5 on a dealer's list that only sells 30 vettes per year.
I’m guessing there will be several versions. As history shows the basecar will come out first and be in high demand. The large dealers will sell at sticker. The smaller dealers may add a mark. Thus another reason to go to a large dealer if you want an early car..
Then the higher HP cars and maybe a hybrid will arrive. They will be expensive and won’t be hard to order.
Local dealers can get the car if they have an allocation. I have always used local dealers and have always gotten the car early in the production run. I ordered a 2014 from a dealer with nine allocations and took delivery of VIN 1500 on 10/1/13.
We don't have anything official at this point but I'd like to think we'll be getting between 125 and 150 per month. However, ordering a car from an dealer who doesn't get over 30 a year can be tricky because of constraints. If an option you want is on a 30% constraint (which is common in an early model) that means roughly 1 out of 3 cars will be allocated with that option. If your dealer gets 2 cars that month and its the month your order is supposed to go in you and you want that option, you could have a problem. Maybe your dealer got zero or maybe he got one but both of his customers for that month want the option. If a dealer is ordering 30 or 40 at a time, he can fill constraints much easier than someone getting 2 or 3 a month.
We don't have anything official at this point but I'd like to think we'll be getting between 125 and 150 per month. However, ordering a car from an dealer who doesn't get over 30 a year can be tricky because of constraints. If an option you want is on a 30% constraint (which is common in an early model) that means roughly 1 out of 3 cars will be allocated with that option. If your dealer gets 2 cars that month and its the month your order is supposed to go in you and you want that option, you could have a problem. Maybe your dealer got zero or maybe he got one but both of his customers for that month want the option. If a dealer is ordering 30 or 40 at a time, he can fill constraints much easier than someone getting 2 or 3 a month.
Dave
Is there any reason a small dealer with 4 early allocations wouldnt get a sold C8 order with no constraints in the first wave ?
^^^
Won't try to answer for Dave but his explanation is one reason I placed my "hold-a-spot" order with them! In addition they are great folks and have bought other Vettes from them- "all ordered made just for me in Bowling Green!"
Here is what could happen if I ordered from the local large Chevy dealer in town who may have sold 12 Vettes last year. I want very specific exterior Color, 3LT specific Color Interior, specific Wheels, Carbon Fiber painted Carbon Flash Ground Effects (like I ordered for my Grand Sport from Kerbeck,) the high wing and the front lift option (and a few other minor items.) My local dealer will take hold money from a number of potential customers, perhaps more than they will be allocated!
When my number comes up, likely one of those items I want will be constrained (as Dave notes. could be only 30% of the cars ordered by all dealers in that order period! That is all GM may be able to supply!) So assuming I have a honest quality local dealer, I might get a call saying we are placing our 1 order we are allowed for this period AND you're next BUT we can't get abc and xyz as they are constrined. Do you want the car without them? You have a short time to say yes or no as they will then call the next person in line OR just place and order for what someone ordered that has no constraints! Or you could say I'll wait and try for the next time they can order and hope!
If Kerbeck is ordering 25+ cars that period, there is a hgher proability of you getting what you want.
^^^
Won't try to answer for Dave but his explanation is one reason I placed my "hold-a-spot" order with them! In addition they are great folks and have bought other Vettes from them- "all ordered made just for me in Bowling Green!"
Here is what could happen if I ordered from the local large Chevy dealer in town who may have sold 12 Vettes last year. I want very specific exterior Color, 3LT specific Color Interior, specific Wheels, Carbon Fiber painted Carbon Flash Ground Effects (like I ordered for my Grand Sport from Kerbeck,) the high wing and the front lift option (and a few other minor items.) My local dealer will take hold money from a number of potential customers, perhaps more than they will be allocated!
When my number comes up, likely one of those items I want will be constrained (as Dave notes. could be only 30% of the cars ordered by all dealers in that order period! That is all GM may be able to supply!) So assuming I have a honest quality local dealer, I might get a call saying we are placing our 1 order we are allowed for this period AND you're next BUT we can't get abc and xyz as they are constrined. Do you want the car without them? You have a short time to say yes or no as they will then call the next person in line OR just place and order for what someone ordered that has no constraints! Or you could say I'll wait and try for the next time they can order and hope!
If Kerbeck is ordering 25+ cars that period, there is a hgher proability of you getting what you want.
Looks like you drank the Kool Aid. The top few dealers did not sell most of the 100,000 C7's produced. I have nothing against them. However, I have always gotten new Vettes early in the production year from non top ten dealers. In my experience there is no need to order from a dealer a thousand miles away to insure you get a car. Maybe I have just been lucky many times.
^^
Hmm, perhaps but have been drinking that Kool-Aid since my 2008 Vette I bought from Kerbeck! None of the foolish haggling with a salesman etc. Great folks to do business with! What you see on their website is about what you'll pay for one ordered exactly like you want it!
Yep bought my first Vette, a 1988 from the local Chevey dealer using my MO for buying cars a the time. When straight to the sales manager (no salesman) made a spreadsheet with part numbers I wanted, HD suspension, special 1 inch larger wheels, standard shift, colors etc, etc. In the next columns put in MSRP and Dealer Cost. Knowing here were "holdbacks and other volume incentives" quickly reached price for a car they would order, "just for me, make in Bowling Green." Recall one funny statement about needing $2000 non refundable down payment because it would be hard selling a standard shift in the area! Even back then! Recall one of my Product Mangers who had a 1985 Vette, looked inside when I 1st brought it to work and said jokingly, What to cheap to buy an automatic?!" I just smiled and didn't bother to tell him that Doug Nash 4+3 was the exact same cost as an auto! He was young and wouldn't understand!
Yep when I ordered my early C7 (built September 2013) the carbon fiber dash option was constrained with 0 availability, in that case I opted to not get it! You can bank on the ground effects, wheels, high wing or front lift option being constrained- at least in the first year. Yep if you don't want anything special no problem.
^^
Hmm, perhaps but have been drinking that Kool-Aid since my 2008 Vette I bought from Kerbeck! None of the foolish haggling with a salesman etc. Great folks to do biasness with! What you see on their website is about what you'll pay for one ordered exactly like you want it!
Yep bought my first Vette a 1988 from the local Chevey dealer using my MO for buying cars a the time. When straight to the sales manager (no salesman) made a spedsheet with part numbers I wanted, HD suspension, special 1 inch larger wheels, standard shift, colors etc, etc. In the next columns put in MSRP and Dealer Cost. Knowing here were "holdbacks and other volume incentives" quickly reached price for a car they would order, "just for me, make in Bowling Green." Recall one funny statement about needing $2000 non refundable down payment because it would be hard selling a standard shift in the area! Even back then!
Yep when I ordered my early C7 the carbon fiber dash option was constrained with 0 availability, in that case I opted to not get it! You can bank on the ground effects, wheels, high wing or front lift option being constrained- at least in the first year. Yep if you don't want anything special no problem.
No doubt you have to have a quality dealer. The top selling dealers have a sound reputation. There are quality dealers that are not top ten sellers of Vettes. I am currently number 20 on a C8 Z06 list of a dealer that requires a $500 refundable deposit. I have gotten cars there before without any problems. And, my cars have a good list of options. Anyway, each person should go where they feel good about the process.
^^
Probably been at this longer than most! At 77 have bought many new cars over the years! First new one was a 1967 Corvair at a very larger dealer in a very large city where my Uncle was the General Manager. Same Uncle, when he was Service Manger, that helped me "stuff" an Olds engine I assembled from parts in my 1st car, a '41 Ford. Same Uncle that tried to get me what would have been my 1st Vette in 1974! Couldn't get one as GM was sold out! Bought a Datsun 260Z!
Yep I still have to haggle with dealers as the wife has her 2nd BMW X5 SUV and went through the local large Chevy, BMW, Mercedes dealer. (That was an interesting negotiation! We were very close to a deal and the salesman went back to get "approval." Came back and said they would accept the the price and we'll donate $500 to the Women's Symphony Guild, "Taste of Florence" fund raiser! - which my wife had said she was going to see the GM to ask them to be a sponsor - but she was out - Wife is VP of the Guild! That ended the haggling!)
^^
Funny, that was not my 1st Corvair. My ’62 with “swing axles” was what Nader wrote about. Lots of misleading statements and after I read his book learned not to trust “Do Gooder” lawyers like Nader or “Lawyers for injured people.” They follow the “Ends Justify the Means” philosophy and tell partial truths or lie!
That has been validated with my "expert witness" experiences, all of John Grisham’s books and most who are politicians!
SIDEBAR Shaggy Dog Corvair Story: I have few photo’s from “back-in-the-day” but daughter posted the one below on my birthday. That is her sitting on my ’62! Have no pics of the '67!
Only bought the Nader book when it was cheap in paperback! In fact, it was the only car ever proven safe in the Courts! GM never lost a case (did pay a few off!) One of Nader’s distorted, partial truths was the comment he made about a part shown in the JC Whitney catalog that said the “cross spring” available “made the car safer!” He did not mention the other benefits listed OR in that same ad part number was sold for the Porsche’s of the day and VW’s! Both had swing axils!
The biggest problem was owner’s, gas stations (who would check air pressure in the day) did NOT follow GM’s recommendations of 16 psi front tire air pressure. That promoted less front grip "oversteer" countering the rear engine inherent "oversteer." Nader actually used the ’65 and later Corvairs with parallelogram rear suspension and said GM changed it because the prior cars were not safe. Never said that VW Bugs (built through 2003) always had swing axles and had a higher cg making "roll-over" more likely!
MY 1967 CORVAIR:
Ordered the ’67 with every HD option available that year: Quick Steering, HD Springs and Sway Bar, Metallic Brakes, 4 speed Monza. I added headers, carb mods, Oil cooling pan and valve covers, Plus1 14 inch aluminum wheels and sticky low profile (not a word used at the time) Continental 714 tires. Handled great once you learned if going into a corner very fast to be prepared to steer into skid with the rear inevitably trying to come around. Had only a fration of a second. More like driving a dirt racer!
C8: SAME REAR WEIGHT AS A CORVAIR
In a video, Tadge said he came from a “Porsche Family” and knows all about oversteer! He said the C8 with the same 60% of it’s weight on the rear as the Corvair has eliminated the issue. Porsche, with one hand tied behind their back with a rear engine car, has learned to engineer a great handling car! GM is at least as smart!
C8 allocation question
