Old Kentucky Home: GM Confirms C8 Corvette Production Site, New Emblem

by Matt Posky

April 29th, 2019 10:47 AM

old kentucky home gm confirms c8 corvette production site new emblem

General Motors has officially announced that the Chevrolet Corvette will continue production in Bowling Green, KY after it transitions into a mid-engined car. The automaker will add 400 new jobs and a second shift to support production of the new model, bringing the factory’s workforce to more than 1,300 individuals.

However, the Corvette news — such as it is — doesn’t end there. The vehicle’s factory-sanctioned Facebook page also revealed the car’s new logo on Friday.

While there’s not too much going on here, a few subtle differences separate it from the current emblem. Chevy gave the new car a deeper V-shaped badge with fewer embellishments, though only Vette fanatics will be able to spot the differences without touching their nose to the paint. The automaker’s media team tossed together a brief video of the logo’s evolution throughout the years to help clarify the changes.

Getting back to assembly, GM said its commitment to the Kentucky plant remains strong, hinting that the company is indebted to the factory that has served as the Corvette’s home since 1981.

“The Corvette’s iconic status owes so much to the men and women of Bowling Green, where it has been built exclusively for almost 40 years,” said GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. “This is the workforce that can deliver a next generation Corvette worthy of both its historic past and an equally exciting future, and today’s announcement gets us one step closer to its reveal on July 18.”

While General Motors is undoubtedly trying to shift attention away from the layoffs associated with its multi-billion-dollar restructuring plan, the automaker has put a lot into Bowling Green over the past decade. Since 2011, some $900 million flowed into the facility — resulting in a new body shop, paint shop, Performance Build Center, increased engine capacity, and various other upgrades.

With all that cash flowing into the site, it should surprise no one that C8 production will remain in the model’s old Kentucky home. Vette aficionados just hope that issues reported with the car’s frame and electrical system are nowhere to be found in the production model.

[Images: General Motors]

#Assembly #BowlingGreenAssemblyPlant #C8Corvette #ChevroletCorvette #Corvette #GeneralMotors #GM #MaryBarra #Mid-engineCorvette #ProductionPlans #Vette

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4 of 35 comments

Johnster on Apr 29, 2019

I worry that GM will, once again, leave product development and testing to the first people who buy one. If I were going to buy one, I'd wait until (at least) after the second year of production.

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- Get Necked Ya Dumb Nigger! on Apr 29, 2019
  
  As per GM usual, of course they will. They'll call them "recalls".
  
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- Arach on Apr 30, 2019
  
  I love being a GM early adopter. It normally works like this: You buy an early production car. GM is so scared of bad feedback and press, they will bend over backwards to make you super happy. they even overnighted a transmission and had it installed on christmas eve... no joke. 1 day turnaround on a new transmission that wasn't even in the same state? thats what you get being a GM early adopter. Then after you enjoy the car for 2 years, there is still enough used car demand for some reason and all the buyers forget about the problems, that you can resell it for almost what you paid for it.
  
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Big Smoke on May 01, 2019

Gold chains and a corvette? Also depend on how many chains, and what model? • First generation (C1; 1953–1962) 1953 gold $35.25/oz • Second generation (C2; 1963–1967) 1963 gold $35.25/oz • Third generation (C3; 1968–1982) 1968 gold $43.50/oz • Fourth generation (C4; 1984–1996) 1984 gold $308/oz • Fifth generation (C5; 1997–2004) 1997 gold $287.50/oz • Sixth generation (C6; 2005–2013) 2005 gold $513.00/oz • Seventh generation (C7; 2014–2019) 2014 Gold $1199/oz • Eighth generation (2020)

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