Corvette by the numbers...cont'd...

Taken from this month's edition of Corvette Magazine...

..." Though Chevrolet has managed to keep monthly Corvette sales above the 1,000 unit mark, the 1,109-vehicle tally for September 2010 represents a 30% decline compared to the same month in 2009. Overall, sales aren't quite so weak, but they are down. Year to date, Chevrolet has sold 9,798 Corvettes, representing a 9% decrease capared to this time last year"...

kinda translates that the Corvette sales may be even lower than the 2009 totals of 16,956 and the 2010 totals of 12,194! :ack2: If that 9% decline remains the trend for the 2011 MY, this could mean an almost 1100 unit reduction from the 2010 totals to a new low of less than 11,000 (+/-) units sold for 2011.

We know the Corvette will not 'go away', but what this tells me is that this recession is still deep, and ongoing, unlike what this current Administration propaganda czars keep spewing. :hehehe:

Other car manufacturers not withstanding, could it be that there's been a shift in GM sales due to the introduction of a new GM "muscle" car?
Of course I'm referring specifically to the new Camaro.

Could it be that those sales are taking part of what would have traditionally been Corvette sales?

Think about it.

You see them everywhere, they're muscle with a back seat, vette running gear, nice styling, great aftermarket support and performance potential, and low (comparatively speaking) cost.

Previous to the introduction of the Camaro, what else did Chevy have to compete with it?

Any idea how the sale numbers stack up to previous years when GM had both a Vette and a "performance based" Camaro?

With Camaro sales actually earning money for GM,

I'm sure that the purchase for a Corvette was challenged. Obviously having a ground pounding brute like the Camaro, for 10k to 20k less than regular 'Vettes, it stand to reason the new Camaro may have very well cut into Corvette sales, but then again I don't mind...the Camaro has always been affectionately referred to as Corvettes' "Little Brother".

With sales over 50,000 well into the 2010 MY, and the convertible hitting the showroom floors in February of 2011, sales could very well exceed 100,000 in 2011. Four choices of engines certainly makes one's teeth sweat with giddiness when comtemplating what level of the Camaro beast to wish to attempt to tame.

So Shadow...your points are well taken...and worth a thought or two when thinking shrinking Corvette sales. At least one thing is a sure positive...at least those car buying dollars are staying in the US and staying within the GM family! :thumbsup:

I'll try and get the numbers about Camaro and Corvette from the 60's and 70's...when horsepower truely mattered up 'till '72.

Thanks Jack.
I'll look forward to seeing the numbers.

Since the 2001-2 (?) Camaro, there hasn't been another GM product that could satisfy the "need for speed."

I agree. As long as we can keep the $$$ in the US, we're golden:thumbsup:

I'll get numbers for the years '67 to '72...

...pretty much the muscle era...and it saves time in collecting numbers when keeping to that era. I'm sure we'll see a trend, if any. I'll be inclusive with the numbers as well...no matter the style or size of engine. And I'll include the numbers for the '66 Vette to see if the 'pain' was immediately felt in the Corvette back in the day once the Camaro was introduced in '67.

Shadow said:

Thanks Jack.
I'll look forward to seeing the numbers.

Since the 2001-2 (?) Camaro, there hasn't been another GM product that could satisfy the "need for speed."

I agree. As long as we can keep the $$$ in the US, we're golden:thumbsup:

Click to expand...

Ok Shadow....here ya go!

I'll 'bookend' the Camaro production numbers that we talked about, from 1967 to 1972, with two Corvette production totals...for the 1966 (27,720) and 1973 (30,464) Corvette.

1967 Camaro: I6...58808, V8...162109, total...220917
1968 Camaro: I6...50937, V8...184178, total...235115
1969 Camaro: I6...65008, V8...178087, total...243095
1970 Camaro: I6...12566, V8...112323, total...124889
1971 Camaro: I6...11178, V8...103452, total...114630
1972 camaro: I6... 4824, V8... 63832, total... 68656

Grand total: 1,007,302 :thumbsup:

Now, for the Corvette using the same MY's...

1967 Corvette: 22940
1968 Corvette: 28566
1969 Corvette: 38762
1970 Corvette: 17316
1971 Corvette: 21801
1972 Corvette: 27004

Grand total: 156,389

Corvette totals were going up for the most part during these six model years of the Camaro, vice the 1970 production total of 17,316 for the Corvette...the lowest Corvette production the '67-'72 time frame. I recall lean times even then...I graduated high school in '72.

So, I don't think the introduction of the Camaro in '67 stole Corvette thunder. For the most part, Corvette numbers were on the rise...with the exception of the previously mentioned Corvette production year of '70. One thing I noticed...after 1969, numbers for both cars were trending down, yet still selling relatively well.

Pretty much 'one can draw their own conclusion Shadow. How do u 'see' these numbers?? :thinkin: