Over 120 New Corvettes Will Be Scrapped After Suffering Tornado Damage

Devastating tornados caused serious damage around Bowling Green, destroying a number of new Corvettes in the process.

Recently, multiple states were devastated by powerful tornadoes that took far too much human life in a truly tragic disaster. That’s obviously far more important than a bunch of cars, but it seems that quite a few new Corvettes also suffered some serious damage at General Motors’ Bowling Green, Kentucky plant. According to Corvette Action Center, that number totals around 122 units, though it very well might rise in the coming days and weeks.

The damage in the area surrounding the plant is even worse, as a number of homes in Bowling Green were completely destroyed by the twister that ripped through the town. A gas station and nearby hotel were severely damaged as well, while both GM’s assembly plant and the National Corvette Museum were impacted. Making matters worse, a fire broke out in the plant as well, caused by what some believe was a ruptured fuel line.

As for the 120+ new Corvettes impacted inside and outside the plant, those cars are reportedly damaged beyond repair and will be scrapped. Dealers will need to re-submit their impacted customer orders through GM’s Order Workbench System, though those orders will be moved to the front of the line once production is able to recommence. At the same time, there are a number of Corvettes that were sitting outside the plant that must also be inspected to determine if they can be saved.

In the meantime, GM’s focus is on repairing its Bowling Green plant, which reportedly suffered not only damage from the aforementioned fire, but also some roof damage as well. “Maintaining a safe work environment for plant employees is our top priority,” the automaker said in a statement. “Therefore, we are canceling production on first and second shift the week of December 13th as our trained teams work to get tooling, equipment, and the facility space up to standard.”

It’s a tough break for GM and those waiting on a new Corvette, as a number of problems have conspired to cause all sorts of production issues since the C8 launched for the 2020 model year.

Photos: Chevrolet

.

‎