GM Won’t Build All 2020 Corvette Orders

Series of unfortunate events means not all 2020 Corvette orders will be filled, but it’s not all bad news.

The all-new C8 Corvette got off to a bit of a rocky start shorty after it was unveiled last year. Not that it was a bad thing, obviously, but demand for the new mid-engine masterpiece was off the charts, and the 2020 Corvette suddenly became the hottest thing on the planet. Subsequently, this led to massive markups, as hot models often do. But after all automakers were forced to shut down production for two months this spring, it only compounded GM’s efforts to fill 2020 Corvette orders. And now, the automaker has announced that it won’t, in fact, be filling all of them.

The news comes to us from the Detroit Free Press, who received the information from GM spokesperson Kevin Kelly. “We are not going to build all of the 2020 orders,” Kelly said. “We’ve had an enormous demand for this vehicle and we had that work stoppage and we have suppliers trying to come up to speed too. The plant is still coming up from COVID. We still haven’t brought up the second shift yet, so we’re still ramping up.”

Kelly also revealed that GM had received 20,181 orders through May 1. The automaker sold 3,820 Corvettes in the first quarter, with most of those sales going to 2020 models. But this series of complications threw a proverbial monkey wrench into their plans, and there just isn’t enough time left to build enough cars to satisfy existing orders. Kelly did say that GM would work with affected customers and dealers to offer a 2021 option, however.

This comes in spite of the fact that GM decided to extend production of the 2020 Corvette. Originally, the automaker planned to stop taking orders in May, but has adjusted that timeline to late July. Additionally, GM will continue to build 2020 Corvettes through the fall. It notes that this will allow it to build most, but not all of the orders it has already received.

The good news is, customers that get bumped back to the 2021 model year won’t have to pay more for their shiny new rides. Kelly also confirmed that the base price for next year’s Corvette will remain at $59,995, while the convertible will stay at $67,495. Customers can start ordering their 2021 models in July.

While this may come as disappointing news for some 2020 Corvette customers, it’s completely understandable. GM is working hard to produce as many cars as possible. But in these unprecedented times, it’s just making life terribly difficult for automakers in general.

Photos: Chevrolet