Chevrolet dealers to start selling Corvettes again?

[Vet Guru]

I saw in this weeks autocar GM Europe are looking at selling the new Camaro in 2010 in RHD and also selling pickups and adding the Corvette to the Chevy Lineup as the old Daewoo models will be all getting replaced by Global Chevy models like the Colbalt and Aveo. I thought the whole point of dropping the Chevy name with the Corvette was to bring it
upmarket? And Chevy dealers in the UK selling the Vette in the future bit of De Ja Vu.

[LuS1fer]

I read on some other site that they were bringing the Corvette back into the Chevy line-up above a RHD Camaro because GM feel the Chevrolaewoos are now sufficiently strong to compete on their own ground. It's not like GM have ever been wrong....

[Dr G]

I want an Escort Cosworth on my driveway despite ford having made the Probe.

I want a Vette despite GM also owning a Korean washing powder production facility that accidentaly started making car-like white goods one day.

Although I may not be their target market...

[Godzilla]

A massive mistake if true IMO.

Can't imagine many people rocking up to buy their £64k Z06s and £80k ZR1s crammed in amongst the Daewoos...

The Camaro is different, a proudly blue collar muscle car from the old school, but Corvette sales will plummet in Europe if they are brought (further) downmarket.

I personally think even Cadillac is dragging the brand down!

Having said that, I personally have no problem buying a Vette from anywhere and I have a new Nissan GT-R on order that will doubtless be sharing a showroom with Micras.

But the vast majority of people spending Corvette money in Europe WILL care about image, branding etc.

Over here, due to LHD, you have to be a bit of a non-conformist to buy a Vette anyway!

[LuS1fer]

I think the Corvette should always have been a Chevrolet. the MISTAKE was prostituting the brand and dunping it on some poxy Korean junk (no offence.. )

[anonymous-user]

I think the marketing geniuses dropped the Chevrolet name for Europe at the same time they started putting little GM badges ahead of the rear wheels of Euro C6s. Don't think the US cars have that badge but owners may know otherwise.



IIRC they retained the Chevrolet bow-tie in the red section of the bonnet badge though. There's nothing quite like consistency to avoid confusing customers!

LuSIfer - are you saving up for that RHD Camaro you always promised yourself?

[songman3]

I heartily agree with all the sentiments expressed here.

It is little short mind of 'mind boggling' to see such a fine product as the Corvette with such great sales potential, shunted from 'sales pillar to marketing post' in this crazy manner - Have GM marketing lost the plot! - no wonder they are losing money!!

Not the only ones too - I read that Pendragon`s[owners of Stratstone] shares are bouncing off the bottom of the pond at last close ~33p - lost 50% of their value in the last three months!!! - profit warnings and all the rest!!

Is there a predator lurking in the shadows Ooh!- it looks like 'thars trouble at mill'!

Poor Corvette - doesn't deserve all this stuff - caveat emptor.

[Godzilla]

5 USA said:

I think the marketing geniuses dropped the Chevrolet name for Europe at the same time they started putting little GM badges ahead of the rear wheels of Euro C6s. Don't think the US cars have that badge but owners may know otherwise.

My Euro car does not have the GM badge and all the US cars do, so I think you got that the wrong way round.

But no, the C6 does not feature the word Chevrolet anywhere on the car.

[mitch_]

Well gents, the decision on Camaro is not made yet. There is however massive wrangling at GM over where it should be placed. The 'Daewoo' chaps want it to give them some brand credibility and the CCH(Cadillac, Corvette, HUMMER) guys want it because it will be amongst its own kind there. We will just have to wait and see........ As for the GM badges, I think they were missed off Euro cars due to protrusion issues. They are on all the U.S. cars though. It's called the 'Mark of Excellence' and is to be found on any vehicle in the GM range that they feel has pushed the envelope in some way.

On a personal note if Camaro were to return to 'Chevrolet' I know what would happen already. The car would enjoy a birthday, a strong couple of months, then when it actually came to the crunch they would struggle like mad. "I want to swap in my 1998 Pontiac Trans Am WS6 please!"......or maybe not..... We'll just have to wait and see. We're all passengers after all.

M

[vetteheadracer]

You put your Corvette in, you take your Corvette out,
You sell them through official dealers, then you don't,
GM/Chevrolet/Pendragon/Kroymans don't know what they are doing again.

Hookey-Cookey Sales and Marketing at it again........

Corvette enthusiast will continue to buy the cars direct from the USA knowing you save a load of money but get no warranty whereas the poor buggers that buy them in Europe will get ripped off and still won't know if they will be able to even get a waranty fix done next month let alone three years from now

Edited by vetteheadracer on Monday 11th February 13:27

[Godzilla]

vetteheadracer said:

You put your Corvette in, you take your Corvette out,
You sell them through official dealers, then you don't,
GM/Chevrolet/Pendragon/Kroymans don't know what they are doing again.

Hookey-Cookey Sales and Marketing at it again........

Corvette enthusiast will continue to buy the cars direct from the USA knowing you save a load of money but get no warranty whereas the poor buggers that buy them in Europe will get ripped off and still won't know if they will be able to even get a waranty fix done next month let alone three years from now

Edited by vetteheadracer on Monday 11th February 13:27

That's a little unfair. My Euro (but not UK) car had the roof done under warranty and latterly even had the entire gearbox changed under warranty!

[anonymous-user]

vetteheadracer said:

You put your Corvette in, you take your Corvette out,
You sell them through official dealers, then you don't,
GM/Chevrolet/Pendragon/Kroymans don't know what they are doing again.

Hookey-Cookey Sales and Marketing at it again........

The truly remarkable thing is that Corvette presence continues to grow in UK thanks to the car's underlying excellence/cost-effectiveness and despite the hokey-cokey sales and marketing. My C5 the dealer lost its Corvette franchise between ordering the car and the darned thing being delivered!

I guess the prevalence of little blue "GM" badges simply reflects how many cars are being imported from USA if I've got my info the wrong way round. Thanks for the correction. As for warranty a Euro car will naturally get full warranty irrespective of which EU member state it was sold in first, notwithstanding the tabloids' enthusiasm for UK to disengage from the rest of Europe!

[roscobbc]

songman3 said:

I heartily agree with all the sentiments expressed here.

It is little short mind of 'mind boggling' to see such a fine product as the Corvette with such great sales potential, shunted from 'sales pillar to marketing post' in this crazy manner - Have GM marketing lost the plot! - no wonder they are losing money!!

Not the only ones too - I read that Pendragon`s[owners of Stratstone] shares are bouncing off the bottom of the pond at last close ~33p - lost 50% of their value in the last three months!!! - profit warnings and all the rest!!

Is there a predator lurking in the shadows Ooh!- it looks like 'thars trouble at mill'!

Poor Corvette - doesn't deserve all this stuff - caveat emptor.

Don't these people also have some Harley Davidson dealerships in UK (who also in USA are well down on sales)

[Vet Guru]

The GM badges are on euro models maybe some dealers/customers take them off. I have seen them on CTS caddys and H3 Hummers I think it looks ok.
Godzilla with regards to your Z06 I know you have a bow tie badge and the word chevrolet on your car! If you can't find it try starting the car up and it will appear. Corvette By Chevrolet

[vetteheadracer]

Godzilla said:

That's a little unfair. My Euro (but not UK) car had the roof done under warranty and latterly even had the entire gearbox changed under warranty!

Nope completely fair, a Euro Corvette (built in Bowling Green Kentucky) has full Europe wide warranty, whereas an American Corvette (built in the same factory on the same production line by the same people in Bowling Green Kentucky) has a full Worldwide warranty that become invalid the moment the car leaves North America........work that one out.......not that I am bitter in anyway to Cadillac Europe.....much.....bunch of wrs.

[Godzilla]

vetteheadracer said:

Godzilla said:

That's a little unfair. My Euro (but not UK) car had the roof done under warranty and latterly even had the entire gearbox changed under warranty!

Nope completely fair, a Euro Corvette (built in Bowling Green Kentucky) has full Europe wide warranty, whereas an American Corvette (built in the same factory on the same production line by the same people in Bowling Green Kentucky) has a full Worldwide warranty that become invalid the moment the car leaves North America........work that one out.......not that I am bitter in anyway to Cadillac Europe.....much.....bunch of wrs.

But you said "the poor buggers that buy them in Europe will get ripped off and still won't know if they will be able to even get a waranty fix done next month let alone three years from now".

That is the bit I was saying was untrue, and now you seem to agree with me.

Of course the pricing is high compared to the US, but name a car where that is not the case?

e.g. look at the price of the new GT-R in Japan and its proposed UK price, and Nissan are being a lot more draconian about blocking personal imports than Chevy are...

[vetteheadracer]

Godzilla said:

vetteheadracer said:

Godzilla said:

That's a little unfair. My Euro (but not UK) car had the roof done under warranty and latterly even had the entire gearbox changed under warranty!

Nope completely fair, a Euro Corvette (built in Bowling Green Kentucky) has full Europe wide warranty, whereas an American Corvette (built in the same factory on the same production line by the same people in Bowling Green Kentucky) has a full Worldwide warranty that become invalid the moment the car leaves North America........work that one out.......not that I am bitter in anyway to Cadillac Europe.....much.....bunch of wrs.

But you said "the poor buggers that buy them in Europe will get ripped off and still won't know if they will be able to even get a waranty fix done next month let alone three years from now".

That is the bit I was saying was untrue, and now you seem to agree with me.

No I am not agreeing with you! Bauer Millett were the only official GM warranty dealership in 2004, yet in 2001 there were about 6 dealers happy to sell you a Corvette as an "official" dealer. Great if your car happened to breakdown near Manchester a bit if a bugger if it broke down anywhere else.

My real point is that GM do not inspire confidence given their previous record in the UK.

[Godzilla]

Euro cars cost more than US cars but you WILL have a 3 year warranty that is honoured, even in the UK.

Fact.

[anonymous-user]

And most of the CDs I buy from HMV are dirt cheap because they're shipped VAT-free from Jersey with standard HMV warranty assurances.

And the ones I buy on Amazon are generally shipped VAT and duty-free from Florida.

Couple of facts there too!

[LuS1fer]

They haven't had a Chevrolet badge on the Corvette since the C3 and there wasn't one on a Camaro after the 2nd gen either, although it did have a bowtie and the French nose badge.

5USA, no I'm not going to buy a Camaro. Three reasons really:

1. For the first time ever, I have been totally repulsed by the nastiness of the interior. Clarkson will have a field day. Makes the Mustang look like a Roller.
2. Initially I wasn't keen in the design but it grew on me until I thought it was fantastic but now I've seen a few production mules, it looks a bit ordinary.
3. It looks like the scrapping of the RWD Impala and Buick means the car will be more expensive.

Granted I will have to wait and see what the production models look like but I fear that interior would end any desire I ever had to own one. The exterior might well come alive with some SS touches but those new lights mar the front end. However, the bottom line is that the Mustang is so good and so well sorted now that I'd be stupid to let it go. Besides, the Camaro has to go through its "price premium" phase (yawn)and if I was thiunking of getting another car, the used 2005-on Mustangs are going to be phenomenal value compared to the new one they're bringing out in 2010 which is essentially a reskin.

What with Ford talking about twin turbo V6s and GM talking about hybrids, the next generation may be everything we feared rather than anticipated.