Some 2021 Corvette Buyers Won’t Get Their Car As Production Cut Short
It seems like GM has had it with 2022 Corvette production and is “cutting bait.” What we mean is that with all of the 2021 downtime in production at the Bowling Green, Kentucky, facility; GM is now going to cut short 2021 production. Production has already been down from the latter part of May and June this year. Was 2021 Corvette production as bad as 2020?
Why is Corvette production being cut short?
While many brands are having to stop production over the microchip global shortage, that is not the case with the Corvette. The Corvette has had problems with supply chain components. Parts shortages have been the bane of 2021 production.
“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,” said Assistant Manager, Chevrolet Passenger Cars, Trevor Thompkins, Performance and Motorsports Communications at General Motors, in a statement.
For 2020, the pandemic shut down assembly at the Corvette plant. Also, the UAW strike in 2019 shortened 2020 Corvette production. So Chevy expanded 2020 production into November. This also cut into 2021 production since it started later than planned.
2021 Corvette production has gotten squeezed at both ends
So 2021 Corvette production has gotten squeezed at both ends. Will that make the 2021 Corvette a bit more collectible due to its shortened, troubled production run? We won’t really know for a couple of decades at least.
But the big problem for this production news comes for 2021 Corvette customers. Some of them will not be getting the Corvette they ordered. Those with Event Code 3000 or above will still be getting the Corvette they ordered.
Event Code 3000 is a tracking number for orders placed. At that stage, it means the order has been accepted by Production Control. That means it is ready to be queued into scheduling.
Chevy stopped taking orders for 2021 models on March 25
This means that if the status of your Corvette is under the 3000 code you will not be receiving your 2021 Corvette. Chevy advises that you place an order for the 2022 model. Chevy had already stopped taking orders for 2021 models on March 25.
The first production stoppage happened from February 1 to February 8 over microchip shortages and issues with the aluminum transmission housing. Then again from March 1 to March 8. That was over “supply chain issues” but was interpreted as being from issues with the Tremec dual-clutch transmission.
Now we are at the same “supply chain issues” reason for the continued closure. Production of 2020 Corvettes was cut in half to around 20,000 units. It is unclear how much shorter 2021 production will be. With no pandemic and a full year of potential production, let’s hope that Chevy can ramp up Corvette production to something closer to 40,000 in 2022.
