The Chevrolet Corvette is the unlikely victim of a tornado that hit Kentucky last week. Production at the Bowling Green plant was halted for repairs after a fire erupted on the premises. General Motors hopes to have the factory back online in a week.
If you happen to wait for your next Corvette C8 to be delivered, it might take a while longer than expected. This is because the production at GM’s Bowling Green, Ky. assembly plant was halted due to a fire that erupted in the aftermath of a tornado that stormed the place early Saturday. According to a GM statement quoted by Automotive News, the fire “has caused damage to the facility, including the roof and an employee entrance.” Fortunately, the employees that were on-site at the time the fire started are all safe. Unfortunately, the Corvette production will be affected, with the first and second shifts at the factory canceled throughout the week. In the meantime, “trained teams work to get tooling, equipment, and the facility space up to standard,” according to GM. The Chevrolet Corvette C8 is in high demand, and the sales have nearly doubled in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period in 2020. GM sold almost 25,000 Corvettes through September, up from the 13,000 it sold in the first nine months of 2020. Both periods were affected by production glitches caused either by the international health crisis or the microchip shortage. GM had already idled production at the Bowling Green plant three times this year, the last time being in November due to the chip shortage that affected most car makers. The fire that started Saturday at the plant adds to these problems, further affecting the output. The plant employs about 1,200 hourly workers, plus around 180 salaried workers. Toyota, which also operates a plant in Kentucky, doesn’t seem to be affected by the tornados. According to a Toyota statement, the storm’s impact on its operations was minimal, and there are no known team members impacted.
Several tornados stormed across six U.S. states on Friday night through Saturday morning, killing more than 90 people and causing widespread damage.
Keyword: Chevrolet Corvette Production Takes a Hit After Tornado Causes Fire at Kentucky Plant