I’m starting to lose track of how many shutdowns this is now, so correct me if I miss any. The last one was the week of October 17th just last year, then we had March 2022, May 2021, November 2020, October 2020, and March 2020.
This current shutdown will begin on February 20th and effectively wipe out production of the beloved C8 for the rest of the month. Yes I know, just “another week”, but a week feels like an eternity if you have a deposit down, like your parents telling you Christmas will be delayed because Santa is waiting on sleigh parts. I want it NOW!
And according to the Detroit News, that is again the reason GM is citing for this delay, yet another “temporary parts shortage”. GM did not elaborate on what part or parts might be lacking, and only commented it was not due to the ongoing chip shortage.
My first thought is, will this affect pricing amid a super hot Corvette market? I wrote just the other day about how this Covid chaos affected the Corvette market as a whole. How many more of these shutdowns can the market handle? As thousands have deposits down and wait for their new C8 to be built, here are some thoughts from a popular Corvette Forum.
From the glass half-empty bunch: “Maybe GM should focus on what they already have ordered and can’t fulfill vs. continually releasing more models taking even more orders…” Or this sums up the trouble well for some, “DAMN! Now will prob have to reschedule my museum delivery on March 11. So many other things that NOW have to be re-scheduled. Work, Plant tour, Delivery, Chevrolet service to install wheels and rotors, Stripe install, Ceramic and PPF install… THIS SUCKS BAD!”
And the eternal optimist: “The plant has been up and running, shut down, up and running, shut down, for various reasons varying from parts shortages to floods and tornadoes, since C8 production began. And BG Assembly has still managed to produce almost 100,000 cars in that period…Guess what? I lived through it, and I have a fine, well-made car that is exactly what I ordered. (And wanted.)”
In closing, we get the typical polished-podium statement from GM spokesperson Dan Flores: “Our supply chain, manufacturing and engineering teams are working closely with our supply base to mitigate any further impact on production to meet the strong demand for our products.”
We often have vibrant discussions over on our Facebook page, I would love to hear from you! Douglas B.
