GM forced to scrap $10.5 million worth of Chevrolet Corvette stock after tornado – UPDATE

UPDATE, January 1, 2022: Drone footage has emerged showing more than 100 Chevrolet Corvettes being prepared for the crusher.

YouTube channel svrweather posted a video showing 104 damaged Corvettes lining up to be destroyed – suggesting Chevrolet may have already begun the task of crushing the cars, given earlier estimates had the tally at more than 120 vehicles being damaged by the tornado.

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December 20: General Motors has been forced to scrap around 122 brand-new Chevrolet Corvette models due to damage caused by a tornado last week.

The Corvette Action Center is reporting approximately 122 Chevrolet C8s have been earmarked as write-offs – equating to at least US$7.5 million (AU$10.5 million) worth of Corvettes – but cautioned GM could add to the number given the widespread destruction at the facility.

One American owner on Facebook said he was contacted by his dealership to let him know his brand-new C8 was due to enter production late last week, but the factory was actually ahead of schedule and his vehicle had already been built. Unfortunately the car was damaged in the weather event, but all damaged vehicles will be prioritised when production resumes.

The plant’s full workforce is scheduled to return this Thursday, but there’s no word yet on what kind of impact the disruption will have on Australian deliveries.

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December 16: General Motors has halted production at the Chevrolet Corvette factory in the wake of the devastating tornado earlier this week.

According to CorvetteBlogger, the Bowling Green plant in Kentucky suffered a fire early on Saturday morning, with the facility said to have been in the path of destruction.

While the adjacent National Corvette Museum was spared, the NCM Motorsport Park has been closed until further notice due to “significant damage”.

At this stage there is no word on how the current production pause will impact Australian deliveries of the Corvette, though GMSV told WhichCar earlier this week the first batch of right-hand-drive models was already en route.

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Any delays are expected to be known in the coming days, but a spokesperson for GMSV has told WhichCar the company is prioritising its workers.

“We are waiting to hear about the full impact of the fire at Bowling Green, but we can report all employees are safe. No news as yet with regards to any impact on production,” the representative said.

The mass devastation caused by the tornado is likely to have damaged the properties of those who work at the Bowling Green site, with the production halt allowing them to secure shelter, assist their family and friends, and help in the clean up.