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Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Production Still in Limbo Despite Record Week at Bowling Green

The Chevy Corvette C8 is one of the hottest vehicles in the market right now, but misfortunes with the Bowling Green assembly plant have been causing headaches for those who ordered one. Despite ramping up production, the plant still has a lot of work to do to keep up with the demand. But there’s a new danger looming, as plant workers are preparing to go on strike.
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 production still in limbo 19 photos
Photo: GM
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GM’s Bowling Green facility that assembles the Chevy Corvette had its fair share of problems last year. This made it hard to get hold of a new car. We might say 2022 was not a good vintage for the Corvette, with many production glitches caused by the supply chain problems and the chip shortage disaster. To make the problem worse, a tornado hit the plant in Kentucky on December 11, causing a fire and writing off more than a hundred C8 Corvettes on the production line.

Things were looking up in January, as production gained speed and even recorded an all-time-high on January 12, with 197 cars built. It was a very good week indeed, and the Bowling Green Assembly managed to build a total of 1,036 Corvettes, which is more than 100 above the planned 920-a-week pace. This means at least those 120 cars destroyed by the tornado were recovered and GM was confident the plant will start catching up with the long backlog.

Unfortunately, things do not always have a happy ending, and a new menace threatens Corvette production. That’s because the workers at the Bowling Green facility do not seem happy with their labor conditions, especially as many of them work without a local contract.

The local union rejected new conditions offered by the plant management. Of particular concern was the outsourcing of work to non-union members. That’s why a strike was authorized, although it might be avoided if the management and the union reach an agreement.

The assembly plant will switch to the 2023 model year in the coming months. This also means the long-awaited Corvette Z06 performance variant will enter production, so we hope there will be no strike to further affect production. After all, those who suffer are GM’s customers who ordered a Corvette and already face long delays. Right now, delivery estimates for new orders are pushed beyond 2025.
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About the author: Cristian Agatie
Cristian Agatie profile photo

After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions.
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