Corvette C8 Production Gets One-Week Suspension Due To Supplier Issues

The Chevrolet Corvette C8 has not had the smoothest of starts. A UAW strike in late 2019 delayed its initial production start only to have the coronavirus shut down factories worldwide in early 2020, further hindering the new Corvette’s already disrupted build schedule. Now, it appears that production for the iconic sports car is facing yet another delay, though this time it’s due to unspecified supply chain issues.

CorvetteForum.com member Robert Frey alleges on the site that he’d received a note from the National Corvette Museum saying that the factory would suspend Corvette production starting next week. Chevy confirmed that news to CorvetteBlogger.com, saying, in part, “Due to a temporary parts supply issue, we can confirm that Bowling Green Assembly will not run production the week of February 1.” The automaker told the publication that it’s working to mitigate any future delays and that it expects production to resume on Monday, February 8.

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The news of another delay comes as the worldwide automotive industry faces a shortage of computer chips. Ford, Jeep, and Volkswagen have all had to recently suspend production at various factories due to the shortage, according to a January 12 NPR report. The increased demand for computer chips in the consumer electronics market has constrained the supply for every industry as more people are stuck at home for work and school. CorvetteBlogger.com notes that this is the factory’s third shutdown due to supply issues, though it’s unclear if the latest one is related to the global chip shortage.

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The coronavirus pandemic shuttered the Bowling Green factory in early 2020 to help slow the virus’ spread, though production for the iconic sports car never entirely stopped. GM kept its Bedford, Indiana plant operating last year to continue building the Corvette chassis; however, the automaker did reduce the workforce there from the usual 250 to 20. The virus has also failed to stop Corvette deliveries from occurring.