mobile-menu-icon
GM Authority

The C8 Corvette Has Doubled In Sales With Gen X

Anyone paying even the slightest bit of attention to the C8 Corvette will have undoubtedly notice the substantial amount of demand and attention behind the vehicle. Sales are dominating the segment, and most C8 buyers are new to the Chevrolet brand. But another key datapoint is that the sports car is selling to an entirely different audience.

C8 Corvette sales to Generation X buyers have doubled compared to the C7 according to Chevrolet chief Steve Hill, who shared the insight during a recent conference call attention by GM Authority.

Generation X refers to the demographic cohort sandwiched between the baby boomers and millennials. 1965 and 1980 are the birth years that are typically used as bookends for Gen X, placing its roughly 65 million American members somewhere between 41 and 56 years of age. This is in stark contrast to a 2019 report that pegged the average Corvette customer at 61 years old, a number that had been steadily creeping upwards throughout the decade.

We’ve all heard the theory: Chevrolet saw a limited future with its core Corvette buyers and decided that a change needed to be made if it were going to ensure the future of the Crossed Flags. As Gen Xers reach their prime earning years, the fact that twice as many of them are setting aside their hard-earned dollars for the C8 Corvette suggests that the future of America’s sports car is secure and Chevrolet’s gamble on the C8 is already paying off.

It’s also worth noting that the C8 is selling to wealthier customers: as first reported by GM Authority, the median annual household income of a C8 buyer is $76,000 higher than the equivalent figure for customers who bought the C7.

The eighth-generation Corvette just capped off its launch model year marred by multiple delays and work stoppages, with a very solid 8,992 deliveries in the fourth-quarter for a dominant 60 percent segment share on a total production run of 20,368 units.

2020 is a down year for the Corvette plant in Bowling Green after pumping out 34,822 examples of the 2019 C7. But when considering the delays in 2020, the extended nature of the final year on the front-engine chassis (after an abbreviated 2018 that only saw 9,686 C7s completed), the number of models on sale, and the late availability of the C8 Convertible, surpassing 20,000 units produced seems like a monumental achievement.

The mid-mounted V8 and exotic looks of the C8 Corvette didn’t gain the attention of the famously skeptical Generation X on their own. Even with only the base model C8 Stingray on the market, C8s and their 490-495 horsepower have proven to be the quickest ‘Vettes in history, even eclipsing the 755 horse C7 ZR1’s sprint to 60 mph. Couple that face-flattening performance with the finest interior ever fitted to any product from The Bowtie, and Chevy has a recipe that even the Breakfast Club can’t resist.

Subscribe to GM Authority for more mid-engine Corvette news, Corvette C8 news, Corvette news, Chevrolet news, and 24/7 GM news coverage.

[nggallery id=1065]

Subscribe to GM Authority

For around-the-clock GM news coverage

We'll send you one email per day with the latest GM news. It's totally free.

Comments

  1. This was one of the motivating factors for the change.

    Handling was the primary focus but also opening appeal to younger and future buyers was a prime directive per Tadge in a number Ipoh interviews,

    The Corvette wile selling well was also losing many sales to other mfgs of younger buyers. Price was not a cause it was that these buyers wanted more advanced or exotic like cars.

    In some tradition can be a benefit but then it can in time become a liability. You need to know when to hold or let them go.

    Reply
  2. I wonder what the target sales volume is for the car to be profitable on its own, ignoring the halo effect on overall brand sales.

    Reply
  3. This is no longer the car for the gold chain, pork chop sideburn and pointy c0kcroach ki!11er shoe crowd.

    Reply
    1. Says the flat broke, in debt up to his eyeballs, brie nibbling wine sipping millenial who has no drivers license.

      Reply
  4. The C8 shows what GM is capable of when they are committed to a successful vehicle launch. The styling, tech and hopefully build quality prove that combining talented engineers with a commitment to excellence results in a product EVERYONE can get behind. Most telling to me is the non-GM owners that are buying this car, that proves point I made above. Sports cars to survive the future, requires conquering new customers and so far the C8 seems to be doing that.

    Reply
  5. This is me, Gen-Xer, first time American car buyer, Porsche conquest sale and thrilled with my C8 HTC! Just contemplating a Z-06 order…. hooked is an appropriate assessment!

    Reply
  6. I’m a Gen-Xer and can’t wait for the C8 Z06 to come out. I’ll buy one for sure!

    Reply
  7. I can see myself buying the C8 when the time comes. I’m also a gen Xer too.

    The C7 was probably the best Vette yet before the C8 totally did a complete 180 on it.

    The C7 was nice but I never gotten into this model for some reason and don’t know really why and did not care to read reviews of this car but I’m definitely reading up reviews of the C8 and unanimously been praised just about all the sources I can found.

    I feel the Z06 & E-Ray will be the sweet spot between the Stingray and ZR1/Zora.

    Reply
    1. Well played GenX’ers; well played!

      Reply

Leave a comment

Cancel