GM closes order books for 2021 Chevy Corvette this month
Chevy confirmed it won't accept any more orders as it focuses on the 2022 model year amid parts shortages.
General Motors won't be accepting more 2021 Chevy Corvette orders this month, according to a letter straight from the automaker. Corvette Action Center last week published a letter from the automaker, meant for all Chevy dealerships in the US, saying, "General Motors has had to make an adjustment in the number of Corvette Stingrays available for the 2021 model year." Ouch. Instead, it will focus on building the already accepted orders and then put all its energy into the 2022 model year.
A Chevrolet spokesperson confirmed the news with Roadshow and spoke to the same challenges outlined in the letter. The decision will likely make an extremely tough car to find more scarce. The letter explained GM is withdrawing its June outlook of production, effectively closing order books and limiting production of the Corvette Stingray to only orders that just snuck through with an accepted stamp. The letter states that the automaker will not reject any orders already pushed through the system and accepted. Any more, however, won't happen. Order books: closed.
The mid-engined sports car's had a very, very rough go ever since it inched close to production. A United Auto Workers strike derailed the initial launch from late 2019 to early 2020. It wasn't long before the pandemic shut GM production plants down. Though the Bowling Green factory the car hails from reopened, supply issues have idled production lines on and off for months now. With the production allotment slimmed, the automaker plans to focus on the 2022 model-year Corvette.
In the letter, which a Chevy spokesperson also confirmed, GM said the order books closing isn't due to the semiconductor chip shortage, but "continued unplanned parts shortages" in general. It's not clear what parts aren't showing up in time for the 'Vette, but there won't be many more of these cars sitting at dealers for a while.
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated production ended for June. The story's been updated to reflect new information.
