After averaging fewer than 1,200 monthly spring sales in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013, the launch of the C7 presented Chevrolet with more than 3,000 sales in March and in April and in May 2014.
Surely that’s all because of pent-up demand, right? After the C6 battled quite respectably through a recession, the craziness of the C7 was bound to generate a great deal of initial demand.
And yet one year later, long since its launch, the Corvette is selling just as well. Better, in fact.
March sales rose 9% to 3,785 units, the second-highest monthly U.S. sales total since the C7 arrived in the latter portion of 2013. April volume was down 1%, a scant 45 units, but remained well above 3,000 units. May sales jumped 6%, significantly faster than the rate of growth in the industry as a whole. Year-to-date, Corvette volume is up 3% to 15,500 sales through five months.
That’s more than 5,000 units better than any individual Cadillac passenger car.
Credit goes to the fact there are more versions of the Corvette now available, including a Z06 Convertible and Z06s with automatic transmissions.
It’s also an all-American sports car in America – combined sales of the Porsche Boxster, Cayman, and 911 aren’t half as strong.
But these factors don’t alter the fact that, for a premium-priced two-seater, the Corvette is ridiculously successful. At the current pace, 2015 is set to be the best year since 2006’s 36,518-unit total. GM has already sold more Corvettes in America in 2015 than in all of 2009, 2010, 2011, or 2012.
Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook.
Gadzooks! Neck and neck with the Mitsu Mirage!
I think its because the car is excellent value for money, comparatively.
And further, its as much or more because of the European’s sticker shock/greed than anything. Especially considering what’s happened with the Euro vs. the US$ (23% different than a year ago), the European’s are raking in astronomical profits from every sale they do make, so they don’t care much about volume or discounting.
Agreed that the Corvette is actually a screaming bargain for what you get, and if it wasn’t for not wanting to be one of the type of people who buy a Vette (and, plus, I want a sensible car for the next purchase: my next car must have a plug), I’d seriously want one.
Unlike previous Vettes, the C7 actually has a proper world class interior, while still having amazing power etc…
If it was made in Italy and had a Ferrari badge on it, it would sell for 4x the price. And everybody knows that.
I wonder how has the C7 affected demand for used C6s. Has the C7 increased overall interest the Corvette nameplate, or are people migrating to the C7 & abandoning the used market?
In 2010 I looked at used C6s, mostly 2006’s. They were about $30k then. Taking a glance at Ebay Motors, the same years are about $20k now. Even low mileage Z06’s are under $30k. Performance bargain of the century right now…
Corvettes are a rare sight here in Silicon Valley. Ferraris and Lambos are more common.
Silicon Valley is detached from the rest of the country.
Definitely agree about the value for money. Those are great sales numbers and are deserved.
Note the first para – should the reference be May 2014?
Also, someone I know has been looking for a late model C6 – there’s very little available at a reasonable price in my area.
Indeed. Fixed.
The price is artificially too low. It used to cost about two IROC-z’s or Mustang GTs for the base Corvette. That’s about $67K for two SS Camaros. “Performance Bargain” is correct. Except some of the top ‘pony cars’ will give the base Corvette a serious run for its money at the track, which didn’t used to happen. And weren’t we promised a full review on the C7?
Fascinating,
I remember walking by a couple 2015 Z06s at the dealership as I was arranging the $150/month lease on my Spark EV. These were sitting in the showroom and I realize that these examples were the very top-end of the model/option spectrum but the sticker price for one of them was $94,000. Ah… to have such disposable income.
It’s surprising considering the overheating problems/blown engines that continually crop up. Check the forums.
I think this being the best year since 2006 tells you all you need to know. The C7 is on track to not be as successful as the C6 was.
I am seeing more and more of them on the road now. The Z06s are selling very well too, see them all over. Guy down the road has a Viper, Ford GT and just got a new Z06 the other day and proceeds to blast all over the place with it. Some of the guys I have seen buying them are guys that definitely would not have purchased a Corvette in the past. The Jaguar F-type on the other hand, I’ve been end to end of this country and I can probably count all the F-Types I have seen in the last year on one hand.