The C8 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray was a car that enthusiasts were waiting on for decades and it now appears likely the car’s 2020 model year will be short-lived, Consumer Guide suggests.
The launch of the 2020 Corvette was initially delayed due to the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike that ran for 40 days and forced Chevrolet to push back production and deliveries. It wasn’t until February 3 that production of the sports car actually started in Bowling Green, Kentucky and due to lockdown orders across the country, this facility was forced to shut at the end of the day on Friday, March 20.
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In a recent YouTube video, Bowling Green plant manager Kai Spande said the factory produced a touch under 2,700 C8 Corvette models between February 3 and March 20 and with no date in sight for when the facility will re-open, it has led to the suggestion that the Corvettes produced for this six-week period could be the only ones made for the 2020 model year.
In a statement issued to Autoblog, however, a Chevrolet spokesperson said GM “will continue to build 2020 Corvette Stingrays when the plant resumes production.” Even if that is to happen, production won’t increase exponentially, meaning the 2020 Corvette will likely be one of the rarest regular-production models in the car’s long and illustrious history.
Just two days before GM paused production at Bowling Green, the automaker announced it would stop accepting orders for 2020 Corvette models due to the demand and delays caused by the UAW strike. It added that it would start accepting orders for the 2021 Corvette in late May. The delays also mean it is likely the C8 Corvette Convertible will not arrive for the 2020 model year as initially planned and instead land as a 2021 model.
