GM to Destroy 122 C8 Corvettes in Wake of December Tornado
Destruction of brand new C8 Corvettes is crushing news for all Corvette fans.
GM plans to scrap 122 C8 Corvettes damaged by a freak tornado in December. Insisting they cannot sell the cars to the public, GM decided to crush the cars to avoid any potential liability. And while that decision may be for the best, the reaction on social media has been fierce. Coming right around the holidays, you would think that GM cancelled Christmas and killed Santa Claus.
The social media firestorm started when Kornel J. Werner posted pictures of the assembled Corvettes on . The Corvettes were on the assembly line when the tornado damaged the Bowling Green plant, ripping off part of the roof, and starting a fire. While the cars appear undamaged, there’s no telling how the smoke, fire, and water affected the electronics and other critical components. This type of damage is bad enough if it happens to your cell phone. But it poses a serious risk to the safety of anyone driving a 180 mph sports car.
The idea of crushing the cars is difficult to accept. Certainly there are plenty of people who dream of rebuilding a car like the C8. Many people have asked about buying the damaged cars. And more than a few people have even offered to show up at the plant and pick them up. But based on GM’s past experiences with lawsuits and recall issues, crushing the Corvettes is the best option. It’s the only way to ensure the damaged cars will not resurface in the marketplace. More than likely, GM has already filed an insurance claim and wrote off the cars.
But while this issue may be, it doesn’t help the fact that GM is running behind on Corvette orders. The high demand for the C8 coupled with global supply chain issues has already delayed deliveries.
Tony Johnson, Chevy’s director of marketing, admitted earlier this year that the automaker was “not even close” to meeting the overwhelming demand for the Corvette. Additionally, GM idled the plant for a week so it could assess the damage. And, of course there are 122 cars no longer in the pipeline for dealers.
If there is a silver lining in this cloud, it’s this – none of the approximately 1,500 workers were injured in the storm. The Bowling Green assembly line is back up and running with two shifts cranking out around 180 cars per day. Last year the assembly plant produced over 24,000 Corvettes and is on pace to deliver more for 2022.
Photos: GM Authority
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