Photo: Chevrolet
In total, 18,577 U.S. citizens took delivery of their 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, which makes up for 91.2 percent of the model's entire global sales. The remaining 8.8 percent is filled by Canada, with 1,490 units, Mexico with 139, and the Middle East with 162.
We also happen to know about at least one Corvette that made its way to Norway, though why that doesn't show up in the official numbers for the 2020 model year released by the National Corvette Museum is unclear. Perhaps just the one car is considered a neglectable quantity or maybe somebody thinks that Norway is a little further East than it actually is and added the count to the Middle East total - who knows?
What we do know, though, is that the first model year of the new Corvette C8 ended with a global sales figure of 20,368. Out of these, 16,787 were coupes and just 3,581 were convertibles. Percentagewise, it shows the hardtop version of the Stingray dominated with an 82.4% market share compared to the 17.6% of the soft top.
This split shouldn't come as a surprise since true sports cars fans will always prefer the added rigidity offered by a coupe, though the prospect of hearing that 6.2-liter V8 engine and the exhaust note without any barriers must be enticing enough to make the choice a little more complicated.
If the coupe-convertible split isn't surprising, the buying habits based on trim level might be. Apparently, the $71,945 that Chevrolet asks for a 3LT C8 Corvette didn't seem too steep for 46.4 percent of those who bought a new 2020 Stingray. The GM brand sold 7,439 coupes and 2,017 convertibles in the highest possible trim, with the 2LT package sitting not that far behind with 39.1 percent of total sales.
The base version, the 1LT, the one everyone praised Chevrolet for and gave the C8 Corvette the title of "affordable sports car", was only chosen by 14.5 percent of the model's buyers. That means a total of 2,946 units, out of which just 283 were convertibles (which do cost a minimum of $67,495, $200 more than the 2LT coupe).
All in all, this shows that making a sports car affordable doesn't necessarily mean you'll manage to convince people with lower financial resources to buy it. Since getting a two-door coupe will always be driven by indulgence rather than necessity, it will likely remain the privilege of wealthier social segments. The kind who have no problem to dig deeper for $12,000 more if that gets them more leather and, more importantly, added prestige.
What we do know, though, is that the first model year of the new Corvette C8 ended with a global sales figure of 20,368. Out of these, 16,787 were coupes and just 3,581 were convertibles. Percentagewise, it shows the hardtop version of the Stingray dominated with an 82.4% market share compared to the 17.6% of the soft top.
This split shouldn't come as a surprise since true sports cars fans will always prefer the added rigidity offered by a coupe, though the prospect of hearing that 6.2-liter V8 engine and the exhaust note without any barriers must be enticing enough to make the choice a little more complicated.
If the coupe-convertible split isn't surprising, the buying habits based on trim level might be. Apparently, the $71,945 that Chevrolet asks for a 3LT C8 Corvette didn't seem too steep for 46.4 percent of those who bought a new 2020 Stingray. The GM brand sold 7,439 coupes and 2,017 convertibles in the highest possible trim, with the 2LT package sitting not that far behind with 39.1 percent of total sales.
The base version, the 1LT, the one everyone praised Chevrolet for and gave the C8 Corvette the title of "affordable sports car", was only chosen by 14.5 percent of the model's buyers. That means a total of 2,946 units, out of which just 283 were convertibles (which do cost a minimum of $67,495, $200 more than the 2LT coupe).
All in all, this shows that making a sports car affordable doesn't necessarily mean you'll manage to convince people with lower financial resources to buy it. Since getting a two-door coupe will always be driven by indulgence rather than necessity, it will likely remain the privilege of wealthier social segments. The kind who have no problem to dig deeper for $12,000 more if that gets them more leather and, more importantly, added prestige.
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