A year of extreme weather events will leave some Chevrolet Corvette Stingray buyers waiting longer than expected for their new car. Tornado damage to the plant where Chevy builds the cars has forced the company to scrap at least 122 finished Corvettes. The company will rebuild them. The factory is expected to resume operations as soon as tomorrow.
Already in Short Supply
The Corvette has been in short supply all year thanks to a series of supplier problems. Most are unrelated to the microchip shortage that has hobbled car production nationwide. Dealers are holding fewer than 10 days’ supply of the cars. Most automakers consider three times that supply to be a shortage.
Early last week, reports said Chevrolet’s factory in Bowling Green, Kentucky, had suffered relatively minor damage after a tornado triggered a fire in the plant’s roof. The company expected to restart production after about a week of repairs.
The Number May Rise
That’s still the plan, but as production restarts, workers will need to rebuild some cars they had already completed. The Corvette Action Center, an enthusiast blog, reports that Chevy dealers “are receiving word that approximately 122 Corvettes inside the assembly plant were damaged beyond repair and are being scrapped.”
The number may rise. Inspectors are examining completed ‘Vettes parked outside the factory during the storm. Some of those may be damaged as well.
Rebuilds Will Have First Priority
Buyers posting to a Corvette owners group on Facebook say dealerships have already been in touch with them. Several say the company has assured them that rebuilding the damaged cars will be the factory’s first priority as soon as it reopens.
The Detroit Free Press reports that the plant’s entire workforce will return to work tomorrow.
