Corvette – All Time Sales Volume by Month

2017 Sales By The Numbers

Earlier this month, Corvsport.com presented the sales statistics on the 2018 Corvette.  As we ramp up for the arrival of the 2019 Corvette, which will include the all-new ZR1 model, we thought we’d take a moment to break down the 2017 sales numbers by month for the sixth– and seventh-generation Corvette.  For all Corvette owners (and prospective owners), these numbers are a key indicator of how the Corvette is performing in the marketplace.

We begin by looking at the sales number for 2017.

General Motors released their final sales report for 2017 in late December, 2017.  Chevrolet sold 2,278 Corvettes in December, which was a decrease of 15.9% from the 2,709 Corvettes sold in December 2016.  This appears to be the continuation of a trend that occurred throughout the 2017 sales year.  In all of 2017, Chevrolet sold 25,079 Corvettes to U.S. customers, resulting in a decrease of 16.4% in total sales from the 29,995 Corvettes delivered in 2016.

It is important to remember that the Corvette assembly plant was shut down for three months as part of a massive re-tooling (including the installation of a new paint shop).  Given that gap in production, the 25,079 Corvettes built in 2017 still demonstrates that there is strong consumer support for the C7 Corvette.

The final 2018 (model year) Corvettes will be built between now and their end-of run on January 22, 2018.  Production of the 2019 Corvettes will start the week of January 29th.

Following Trends

Looking back to 2013, we noted a more dramatic shift in production numbers as Chevrolet wrapped up production of the sixth-generation Corvette and began production of the 2014 C7 model.  The decline in YOY (year-over-year) sales from 2012 to 2013 saw an average 36.8% drop is sales in May – September, 2013 (as compared to May – September, 2012.)  These numbers demonstrate that interest in the new model dramatically impacted sales of the outgoing Corvette model.

As we prepare for the 2019 model year to begin production, the big question that everyone is asking will be whether or not the 2019 Corvette ZR1 will bolster the declining C7 sales numbers.  Despite continued interest in the C7, sales trends from 2014 to 2017 show a definitely YOY decline in sales.  Even with the introduction of the Z06 and Grand Sport models, as well as a number of special-edition models during that four year window, sales have suffered since the seventh-generation Corvette’s introduction in 2014.  Given that an all-new mid-engine Corvette is expected to be introduced for the 2020 model year, it will be interesting to keep track of the Corvette’s sales numbers in the months ahead.

US Corvette Sales by Month and Year