Last year, we learned the 2018 Corvette model year would be an abbreviated one. Production of 2018 Corvettes will cease during the week of January 22 and 2019 Corvettes will begin to roll out of Bowling Green, Kentucky. And one of those 2019 model year cars will be the 2019 C7 Corvette ZR1.
But, we have the 2018 Corvette production numbers, thanks to Corvette Blogger and the National Corvette Museum, and 2018 saw the least amount of Corvettes built since 1959. In total, GM built 9,686 Corvettes for the 2018 model year, which pushes it just past the 1959 total of 9,670 units.
As expected, the top-selling Corvette was the Stingray coupe (31.7 percent), followed by the Grand Sport coupe (25.6 percent) and the Z06 coupe (24.3 percent) rounded out production totals. Convertibles trailed coupes by a large margin.
Interestingly, most buyers opted for the base-model Stingray with 57.1 percent of cars built equipped with the 1LT package. Grand Sport buyers spent a little more dough and opted for higher-trimmed 2LT and 3LT models, while Z06 buyers preferred the range-topping 3LZ trim to the 2LZ and 1LZ trims.
Speaking of the Corvette Z06, orders for the Z07 performance pack dropped significantly with just 32.5 percent of buyers opting for it. Across all models, the eight-speed automatic was the preferred choice of transmission with a whopping 78 percent of Corvettes equipped with the auto.
Finally, Arctic White remained the color of choice for buyers with 20.3 percent of all 2018 Corvettes finished in the hue. Black came in second with 16.3 percent and Torch Red rounded out the top three with 14 percent. For owners of Sebring Orange Corvettes, they’re a rare bird; GM built only 85 Corvettes finished in the orangey hue.
Comments
Why did they do this? People who bought a 2018 Corvette this Fall now have a 1 model year old car. My 2016 Corvette is now 3 model years old. Making them 2019s in January 2018 negatively impacts resale values. So, what was the point?
Still can’t figure out what GM is doing with the Corvette. Why launch the 2019 so early when it isn’t a new design? Speculation was that 2018 would be a short year to end the tenure for C7 but that clearly isn’t the case. C7 continues on into 2019 in essentially the same form. Obviously though there is a new mid-engine Corvette on the horizon.
It seems apparent to me with the trademark of the name ‘Zora’ and continued development of the C7 that GM moving forward will have two Corvettes; a traditional formula RWD, front-engine Corvette Stingray, and a more exotic mid-engine RWD Corvette Zora. A two-model solution allows GM to advance the brand and lure in younger buyers while keeping the purists happy with the tired-and-true configuration remaining.
Rather than a C8 in the offing, it might be more appropriate to assume there is a CM1 coming. That is, a Corvette mid-engine Gen 1 car (CM1) with C8, a replacement for the classic front engine car, still years away.
Although that seemingly makes sense, I am still perplexed why any of this would’ve necessitated an abbreviated 2018 model year for the C7.
Odd. Very odd.
Something is clearly afoot.
I wish GM would finally create a sport focused Corvette brand to challenge Porsche globally.
Unfortunately, Corvette has little to no halo effect for the Chevrolet brand. No one buys a Trax due to C7.
Corvette could, with proper investment, accomplish a global popularity that has so far eluded Cadillac.
I think this situation came about due to corporate indecision. I think GM execs are trying to play both sides of the fence. Let’s be honest a mid-engine Corvette is a major game changer. Make the “wrong” decisions and the company could be in real trouble. There is already the very real possibility that GM will alienate a large part of their loyal Corvette base. If that happens and GM is not able to bring in “crossover” customers from other performance brands and the Corvette will have a major sales problem. IMHO producing BOTH the C7 AND the C8 would be a way to hedge their bets and I for one would not be surprised if that is exactly what they do.
Does this make the 2018 more valuable?