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GM Authority

Corvette Sales Dominate With 62 Percent Segment Share During Q2 2021

Chevy Corvette sales increased in the United States and Canada while decreasing in Mexico during the second quarter of 2021.

Chevrolet Corvette Sales - Q2 2021 - United States

In the United States, Chevrolet Corvette deliveries totaled 7,971 units in Q2 2021, an increase of about 224 percent compared to 2,459 units sold in Q2 2020.

In the first six months of the year, Corvette sales increased about 132 percent to 14,582 units.
MODEL Q2 2021 / Q2 2020 Q2 2021 Q2 2020YTD 2021 / YTD 2020 YTD 2021 YTD 2020
CORVETTE +224.15% 7,971 2,459 +132.23% 14,582 6,279

Chevrolet Corvette Sales - Q2 2021 - Canada

In Canada, Chevrolet Corvette deliveries totaled 873 units in Q2 2021, an increase of about 129 percent compared to 381 units sold in Q2 2020.

In the first six months of the year, Corvette sales increased about 72 percent to 1,154 units.
MODEL Q2 2021 / Q2 2020 Q2 2021 Q2 2020YTD 2021 / YTD 2020 YTD 2021 YTD 2020
CORVETTE +129.13% 873 381 +72.50% 1,154 669

Chevrolet Corvette Sales - Q2 2021 - Mexico

In Mexico, Chevrolet Corvette deliveries totaled 35 units in Q2 2021, a decrease of about 19 percent compared to 43 units sold in Q2 2020.

In the first six months of the year, Corvette sales increased about 22 percent to 71 units.
MODEL Q2 2021 / Q2 2020 Q2 2021 Q2 2020YTD 2021 / YTD 2020 YTD 2021 YTD 2020
CORVETTE -18.60% 35 43 +22.41% 71 58

Competitive Sales Comparison (USA)

The very impressive triple-digit jump in Chevy Corvette sales in the U.S. during Q2 2021 enabled the perennial sports car to remain the best-selling model in its class. In fact, the Corvette outsold all other rivals combined, including the Porsche 911, Porsche 718 (née Cayman/Boxster), Mercedes-AMG GT, Mercedes-Benz SL, Mercedes-Benz SLC, Audi R8 (see running Audi R8 sales), Nissan GT-R, Ford GT (see running Ford GT sales), Acura NSX and BMW i8.

Sales Numbers - Premium Sports Cars - Q2 2021 - USA

MODEL Q2 21 / Q2 20 Q2 21 Q2 20 Q2 21 SHARE Q2 20 SHARE YTD 21 / YTD 20 YTD 21 YTD 20
CHEVROLET CORVETTE +224.15% 7,971 2,459 62% 34% +132.23% 14,582 6,279
PORSCHE 911 +3.61% 2,326 2,245 18% 31% +5.65% 5,108 4,835
PORSCHE 718 +91.95% 906 472 7% 7% +176.61% 2,412 872
MERCEDES-BENZ AMG GT +31.41% 1,117 850 9% 12% +28.18% 2,329 1,817
AUDI R8 +103.91% 208 102 2% 1% +78.89% 356 199
MERCEDES-BENZ SL-CLASS -66.25% 133 394 1% 5% -44.15% 444 795
NISSAN GT-R -30.00% 49 70 0% 1% -22.66% 99 128
ACURA NSX +104.76% 43 21 0% 0% +9.09% 60 55
FORD GT +66.67% 30 18 0% 0% -35.05% 63 97
MERCEDES-BENZ SLC-CLASS -95.21% 24 501 0% 7% -75.87% 222 920
BMW I8 -95.90% 2 49 0% 1% -91.30% 10 115
TOTAL +78.37% 12,809 7,181 +59.42% 25,685 16,112

The performance represents an ongoing improvement in Corvette sales volume, following strong numbers posted in Q1 2021 as well as Q3 2020 and Q4 2020. During all three quarters, Corvette sales accounted for 51 percent or higher segment share. However, as we typically note, many contenders in this segment cost significantly more than the Corvette and naturally see lower sales volumes as a result.

During the second quarter of 2021, Corvette managed to double its segment share to 62 percent from 34 percent a year ago. The second-place Porsche 911 – the most cross-shopped rival with the C8 – accounted for roughly a third as many sales with 18 percent segment share, down from 31 percent in the year-ago quarter. The Porsche 718 line, comprised of the 718 Cayman and 718 Boxster, followed in third place with a 7 percent segment share – the same as during the year-ago quarter. The Porsches were followed by the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT with 9 percent and the Audi R8 with 2 percent. All other models, including the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, Nissan GT-R, Acura NSX, Ford GT, Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class, and BMW i8, each saw a segment share of 1 percent or less.

The premium sports car segment expanded an average of over 78 percent to 12,809 units in Q2 2021, meaning that Corvette sales outpaced the segment nearly three-fold.

The GM Authority Take

The substantial growth in Chevy Corvette sales during the second quarter of 2021 continues to be welcome news, especially given that the last-generation model – the Corvette C7 – has been out of production since November 2019, while the launch of the new-generation 2020 Corvette C8 got off to quite a rocky start.

First, production was delayed due to the UAW strike toward the end of the 2019 calendar year. Then, once production commenced, it was paused shortly thereafter due to the coronavirus outbreak, preventing GM from building enough units to generate any substantial sales volumes or fulfilling reservations and orders. Specifically, the Corvette C8 began arriving at dealers in limited quantities in March 2020, while the COVID-19 pandemic caused production to be idled about a week thereafter, with less than 3,000 units of the C8 produced.

C8 production restarted in mid-May 2020, but very few units actually ended up making it to dealerships and into customers’ hands by the time the Q2 2020 ended. This combination of events, combined with substantial pent-up demand, enabled the Corvette to post such impressive sales figures for the first two quarters of 2021, along with the final two quarters of 2020.

With interest in the new mid-engine Corvette at an all-time high, most C8 Corvette buyers being new to the Chevy brand, and transaction prices at all-time highs, we expect Chevy Corvette sales to continue increasing, so long as production continues uninterrupted at the GM Bowling Green plant that assembles the vehicle, and at the GM Tonawanda Engine plant, which assembles the 6.2L V8 LT2 engine used in the C8 Stingray. As of this writing, the Bowling Green Assembly plant has been running at full production capacity across two shifts ever since June 7th and 2022 Corvette models are set to enter production in early September.

Better still, the Corvette C8 success story has just begun, with many high(er)-performance variants still on the horizon, including the C8 Z06, C8 E-Ray, C8 ZR1 and C8 Zora. The high-revving C8 Z06 will be the first out of the gate, launching for the 2023 Corvette model year. Once these models launch over the next several years, we expect Corvette sales to widen their dominance over the competition even further.

About The Numbers

  • All percent change figures compared to Chevy Corvette sales for Q2 2020, unless noted otherwise
  • There were 77 selling days in Q2 2021 and 77 selling days in Q2 2020
  • Corvette sales figures include all Corvette body styles, variants, trim levels and packages
  • Sales figures for Lotus, Jaguar and Maserati not available as those manufacturers do not break out information on a model basis

GM Q2 2021 sales reports:

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Comments

  1. Toney cross

    Only a matter of time before we see SUV variant.

    Reply
  2. John

    It won’t be long when supply catches up to demand. At that point you will be able to walk into any Chevrolet dealer and order a C8 and have it in 6-8 weeks. You will also see one on every corner.

    Reply
  3. JM

    I was one who benefitted from the increased 2021 Q2 production. 😎

    Picked up my Ceramic Gray Matrix Metallic convertible with sterling racing strips and sterling wheels at the National Corvette Museum 7-2-2021. Then drove it home on a “17 states in 17 days” road trip of 4,750 miles to CA.

    FYI- It took 13 months start to finish: from my dealer deposit in early 2-2020, then eventual preliminary order in the GM system in 11-2020, to manufacture completion in late 4-2021. Sadly, someone (dealer vs. GM ?) dropped the ball on communicating the fact that it was built in 4-2021. I finally called GM directly in late May 2021 (after the NCM rep called to ask me for the desired wording on my interior plaque) and was told by the GM Corvette Concierge that it was completed almost 1 month earlier!

    Reply
  4. Guestt

    OTOH lot of retirement ongoing…😉🙃🙂

    Reply
  5. Peter

    Corvette is growing the segment single handedly. Of the 5600 quarterly unit growth year over year, all but 100 were Corvettes. GM is already making money at this level and has the volume to spread development cost. When the higher performance models come out it will be boatloads of cash.

    Reply
  6. TR

    Only proves what folks have been saying, GM can produce a quality all around product once they decide to actually spend the money versus cutting corners with cheap interiors and limited options.

    Reply
  7. Ernest

    It won’t be long before the Corvette has another competitor. Ford has a new mid-engine sports car coming.

    Reply
  8. iLuvGM

    I honestly don’t understand why people are complaining about Mary Barra. GM has been doing REALLY well since she became CEO of GM (from 2014 until now). In 2016, the greatest Camaro of all time was created. The 6th gen Camaro is the greatest track ready sports car GM has every created BY FAR, and Nurburgring track times prove it. Now with the C8 Corvette, outselling everyone by a WIDE MARGIN, with people waiting in line to buy a C8 for MSRP.

    GM stocks went from $25 a share to almost $60 a share in the last year. Keep up the good work GM!!!!!

    I LOVE GM!!!!! Just please stop with this BEV nonsense. Hydrogen is the future not electric.

    Reply

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