Sam Krahn 
As demand for the C8 Corvette Stingray continues to vastly outweigh supply, General Motors is prepping for the next model year by stopping orders for the 2021 model. In 2020, the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic pushed many 2020 order holders to the next year, and the Chevrolet brand is likely trying to avoid that from happening again. This decision was first reported by Corvette Blogger, who obtained the following email General Motors sent to its Chevrolet dealers:
“Due to continued overwhelming response to the 2021 Corvette and to avoid false customer expectations, it will be necessary to suspend the ability to create a sold order (SRE) beginning March 26, 2021. This does not prevent you from processing existing sold orders (SRE) within allocation, nor creating and processing a normal stock order (TRE). Unplanned downtime has impacted the overall 2021 Model Year Corvette production schedule. We are suspending SRE’s now in an effort to avoid cancelling orders that will not be built within the current schedule and disappointing customers in the process. We anticipate you will be able to submit orders for 2022MY Corvettes in early July.”
In simpler terms, GM is only letting Chevrolet dealers put in stock orders for the 2021 Corvette, and making them tell perspective customers that they’ll have to wait until the 2022 model year to order their car. As mentioned, this move will help ensure 2021 order holders get their cars. While it’s likely that GM doesn’t want angry customers getting bumped to the next model year again, the move could also be a result of the semiconductor chip shortage that’s causing massive troubles for the automotive industry. Just last week, GM announced extended shutdowns for the plants that produce the Chevrolet Camaro and Colorado.
The July timetable also lines up with previous information, giving us a pretty clear idea of when the 2022 C8 Corvette is coming. Earlier this year, we heard rumors that 2021 Corvette production will end on July 19, with 2022 production starting up after a short retooling for any updates. With orders now closed, and GM saying 2022 ordering will commence in early July, the schedule lines up. This also spells good news for a possible July Corvette Z06 reveal.
Its unclear if this move will displace many would-be 2021 C8 Chevrolet Corvette customers, but its likely the best decision for getting Corvette demand under control in 2022 and beyond.
