General Motors is shutting down the company’s assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the factory that builds the Chevrolet Corvette, for one week, idling approximately 1,400 employees due to a parts shortage.
The temporary shutdown of production of one of GM’s hottest vehicles was first reported by local new media around Bowling Green. However, it was also confirmed in a statement by GM, which was posted online by a local television station.
“Due to a temporary parts supply issue, we can confirm that Bowling Green Assembly will not run production the week of Oct. 12. Our supply chain, manufacturing and engineering teams are working closely with our supply base to mitigate any further impact on production, and we expect the plant to resume normal operations on Monday, Oct. 19,” the GM statement said.
(Is Joe Biden a moden Deep Throat for Corvette news? Maybe!)
GM offered no details of the parts shortage. The automaker does not identify suppliers that run into difficulties that have slowed the delivery of critical parts.
However, American Axle, one of GM’s key suppliers reported a major fire at one of its plants in Oho, although that fire hasn’t been linked to the shutdown in Kentucky. GM also is heavily dependent on supplier in Mexico where the threat of COVID-19 has persisted, leading to work stoppages and high absenteeism, according to reports from labor rights activists in Mexico.
GM reported that sales of the 2020 Corvette Stingray, which was named North American Car of the Year for 2020, increased 33% during the third quarter of 2020.
(Internal dokument confirms 1,000-hp Corvette C8 Zora.)
However, sales of the new Corvette were stalled initially by the pandemic, which forced GM to close all of its assembly plants and a large percentage of its dealers for more than two months this past spring.
The pandemic also delayed the installation of a second shift at the Bowling Green assembly plant. The second shift at the plant didn’t start working until August after a delay of several months. As it stands the delays forced GM to extend the 2020 model run into December to fill customer order that already on the books.
Normally the model year ends at factories in August or September at the latest.
(First Drive: 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.)
As mentioned, third quarter sales for the sports car were up, however, through the first three quarters of 2020, sales are down 12.9%. The company’s sold 12,634 units compared with 14,497 for the same period last year. GM’s overall sales are down 17.4% through the first three quarters of the year.
The worst rollout of a new car in automotive history. Just one delay after another, been waiting over 15 months-still no car and no idea when, if ever, I will get mine. GM should have had a plan B with another plant and assembly line, in one of the many shut down due to all the car models they have stopped making. The whole GM upper management team really blew it on the C8. They should have been making 2020’s way back in August of 2019, like usual-and now they are still trying to make the 40% of 2020’s originally ordered – and it is almost 2021. That should be illegal
GM is no way to run a car company. They should have never rolled out the C8 during a UAW contract year, and rolled it out so late. They should have cut off production of the few 2019’s they made in May of 2019- retooled and started cranking out C8’s in July of 2019. They also are way too dependent on Mexico, China and Canada for their parts. They refuse to warehouse parts, to keep the assembly line fed-so now seeing component shortages is no surprise. GM may just not make it if they do not get their act together, and the UAW are going to lose all their jobs if they do not start taking more pride in their work, and quality control – and stop striking the people who put food on their tables. Where is an unskilled assembly line worker going to get a job and replace their income and benefits??? Answer-NOWHERE!
Are they actually building and delivering the Corrari? (It’s what I call this new Corvette-Ferrari mash-up) Haven’t seen any of these anywhere, but plenty of C7s on the boulevard.
Have been waiting for my c8 since march. I have been at the 3300 level for almost 3 weeks and keep getting one excuse after another. High wing spoiler has been canceled but corvette will sell the part with a discount but then the dealers want to charge to install when the original price of $1150 included the part and installation by dealer. Really unhappy with the way this has been handled. I have my doubts if I will ever get a car.