Everyone is Saying that the 2020 Chevy C8 Corvette is "Sold Out" But, That Really Isn't the Case

The 2020 Chevrolet C8 Corvette is barely a month into its world debut, but we’re already hearing about how the model is “sold out.” No less than General Motors design chief, Michael Simcoe, made those comments to Autoblog at the Concours d’Elegance of America. In the unfortunate event that Simcoe’s words get twisted, we’re here to point out that the Corvette C8 isn’t really sold out, and it won’t be sold out for at least six to seven years, or however long the C8 generation lasts before it gives way to the C9 generation. What Simcoe was referring to was the Corvette C8’s first year of production allocation, not the entire run of C8 models. So if you’re planning to buy a Chevrolet Corvette C8 and you were devastated to find out that it’s “sold out,” don’t feel too bad. You’re going to have to wait longer to get your hands on one, but if you’re determined to buy a C8 Corvette, you should have plenty of opportunities to do so. It just won’t happen in the sports car’s first year of production.

The 2020 Chevy C8 Corvette Isn't Sold Out - It's Just Really Popular

I understand the confusion that the phrase “sold out” can bring, especially in a business as competitive as the auto industry. But it’s also important to recognize that there are distinctions to the phrase depending on how they’re used and what, specifically, they apply to. In the case of General Motors design head Michael Simcoe’s comments, he mentioned that “the orders have already hit the first year of production numbers.” When pressed by Autoblog to expound on his comments, Simcoe said that the model is “nearly sold out” and that “it’s so close that it’s bound to be sold out soon.”

Simcoe is referring to the first year production volume of the Corvette C8, not the entire production run of the sports car. Will all that attention amount to sales of around 30,000 units in the first year of production? That’s unclear at this point, but don’t be surprised if Chevrolet hits that mark given the significance of the model and the historical trends that point to Chevrolet selling that many Corvettes in a year if there’s strong demand for the sports car.

Consider this, though. Chevrolet sold 34,839 units of the Corvette C7 in its first year of production in 2014. The automaker managed to sustain that volume in 2015 when it sold 33,329 units. In 2016, Chevrolet fell five units short of eclipsing 30,000 sold units, finishing at 29,995 units for the entire year. The numbers have declined significantly in the last three years, but the trend shows that every time a new-generation Corvette arrives, everyone’s going to want a piece of it.

Now, use that trend to the Corvette C8 and throw in the model’s importance to the history of the Corvette name and it’s easier to imagine Chevrolet selling more than 30,000 units of the C8 in its first year of production. Who knows, it might even reach 36,000 units, which means that it’s going to have to build 100 Corvette C8 units per day over a full calendar year. It’s easier said than done, sure, but give credit to the Bowtie for at least gearing up for it.

As it is, General Motors has already added 400 jobs — that’s enough to start a second shift — at its Bowling Green production facility in Kentucky in anticipation of the busy year ahead. The automaker has also invested $290 million for technology upgrades in the facility and another $439 million to build a new paint shop. The looming hectic schedule is real, folks, and it’s about to get Autoblog real once the automaker’s imposed two-week summer vacation for employees in the facility ends and everyone goes back to work.

It’s going to be a busy year ahead for employees at the Bowling Green production facility. That likely means that the production facility will be open for at least 16 hours per day for the next year, maybe even more if demand for the mid-engine Corvette stays the same or gets higher.

Don’t sleep on the latter scenario, folks. The Chevrolet Corvette C8 is sold out in its first year of production, but if the sports car ends up being good, if not better, than advertised, then we could be talking about more sold-out years ahead for the first-ever mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette.

But that’s a topic for another day. In the meantime, don’t fret if you hear or read that the Corvette C8 is sold out. It’s not, and it won’t be for at least another six or seven years. But it is sold out in its first year of production — that’s an important distinction, by the way — and anybody interested in scoring a piece of the Corvette C8 will have to wait longer before they can go home with one.

It’s a stiff price to pay, but at least you’re not getting left out in the cold. You’ll still get your hands on the Corvette C8. You just won’t be a part of the first-year production run of the model.

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