Jinx

Something tells me that the OP's rate of 18 is the peak production rate, not the expected average production rate.

As for targeting fall vs spring... by starting deliveries in fall they spread out the initial demand. As it is there are plenty of people eager to buy a Corvette "out of season."

I think they're more interested in sales over the life of the platform than just booking the highest number possible during the first model year. I don't buy 40,000 as anything but a shoot-for-the-stars number.

BlueOx

Certainly could be a SFTS number, but if you have announced a significantly increased rate of production at your plant, why would you want to "spread out" the initial demand? What gain is there in doing that? Even if you take more orders than you can keep up with, you just promise later delivery times and announce to the world that you have so many orders, delivery times will be later. I could see that working to their advantage over the long term.

TTRotary

If they try to dump 40,000 units into the market in this economy in a single year, the C7 will have the dubious honor of being the most discounted Corvette in the history of the marque.

BlueOx

But which markets? Maybe the asian/euro/middle east markets really can help soak it all up.

Jinx

Basically all they've done is said what they can produce in a year, which seems like the same basic capacity they've had since '97. Did they actually say they're going to start running the line at that rate by X date?

Why wouldn't you want to spread out the initial demand to closer align with your production ramp-up? If buying is really seasonal for a big chunk of the market, why not pull the evangelist sales forward?

But really, nevermind. This is Corvette's approach, and indeed fall availability has been the industry's general approach since time immemorial. Criticize the marketing wisdom all you like, you haven't said anything to convince me you actually know better in this regard. What I've read from the vast majority of your criticism is just the frustration of an impatient fan of the car. Tell me more sooner, build the cars sooner. Dressed up in complete sentences, but still that. And yeah, I know you don't think I know jack either.

*checks watch* Are the press reviews in yet?

Mdm23

You can't really compare production of an outgoing model to a brand new model. The C6 has been out for 8 years so of course production is gonna drop towards the end. The C6 started out at over 30000 units.

TTRotary

Asia is really the only market with the capacity, appetite, and wealth, but I don't know how much they have focused marketing there. Affluent cities like Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Beijing and Tokyo could definitely add some demand pop. I may be pessimistic, but I view Euro demand as a lost cause for a variety of reasons, but especially because they are even more of a basket case than we are.

Middle easet also not good - people are either dirt poor or filty rich (.005% of the population) and those are all about status - I don't see those types buy Vettes. Bentleys, Rolls, Ferrari - all the enshrined status symbols.

Joe_Planet

Last time they even made 40k cars was 2007. More power to them if they can make it work!

Mike Mercury

... and that's not achieveable at the 8-per-hour rate we were told about at the NAIAS.

I have almost given up on a 2014 model.

With the "September at the earliest" projected delivery to retail customers (and it's more likely to be late Sept - early October)... and with all the pre-orders already taken; I doubt I could see a 2014 model in my garage before Jan 2014.

But just 6.5 months later - I could be taking delivery of a 2015 model; and they are likely to then allow the GM employee discount.

It would be different if I could have a 2014 in my driveway - the thrid/fourth week of August; but that ain't gonna happin.

I might as well wait another 6-7 months and get the 2015... w/employee discount.

Achmed

Didn't GM say their goal was to sell 30,000 2014's? I think someone posted that here a few weeks ago.

If their goal is to sell 30,000 wouldnt they need to produce at least 30,000?

Flareside

Didn't they sell well over 30K of the 8 year old, end of run C5 in 2004? And then 30K C6s in 05. C7 will sell just like the much cheaper final year C6s did, most likely. Car is improved, price is higher, buyers are similar, as is the economy. I would guess 15-20K.

BlueOx

This is all I have seen of that discussion...

BlueOx

This is what I have seen. What have you seen?

punky

I sure hope they fart these C7s out wholesale in those numbers. That would be great in this wretched economy where hardly anyone has a nickels worth of disposable income. The 10 grand + discounts we have now on the lower end models would be back in action before the end of the year. It wouldn't be anything shocking as Corvette prices have been idiotic for years making those type of discounts expected and commonplace.

VADanno

[QUOTE=TTRotary;1583006565]Asia is really the only market with the capacity, appetite, and wealth, but I don't know how much they have focused marketing there. Affluent cities like Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Beijing and Tokyo could definitely add some demand pop. QUOTE]

I saw the Rolex price list for wholesale prices has a statement "Prices are down 5% this year, due to soft demand in Asia". If my Rolex (bought here in the US, and likely to be sold in the US for C7 funds) is impacted by Asian disposable income, Chevrolet isn't going to run the production line wide open to meet demand for that part of the world.

alanhang

the economy is a lot better than before. I think you are living in the past a bit. The stock market is at an all time high. People who stuck it out in the stock market have made huge gains. Housing is improving, jobs are slowly improving. I think you can only live in the past for so long.

speedlink

Too many. Probably GM would be happy with 25-30k.

speedlink

Wow, if this was only so. Economy has actually shrunk a bit lately. Quite a few jobless people are not being reported, because they have run out of unemployment.

Stop watching net work media.

JSBJohn

^ This. The only reason housing and the economy seems to be doing ok is because the rich people who have money are buying up property and stock while it's cheap and no one else can, then when the economy does improve, they make a killing. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer. Ask any average middle class citizen and they will not tell you they are doing better than before; it's even worse. The Kool-Aid - stop drinking it!

Mike Mercury

you can only live in fantasy land - until reality hits one square in the face.