Will Corvette production be moved to Michigan?

[catbert]

In a copyrighted article, a Lansing Michigan TV station, WLNS claims there is a real chance that Corvette production will be moved to a modern plant built especially for RWD platfoms. Bowling Green is a one product plant being kept open for a one shift, five day a week production schedule - not ideal utilization. We will know by the end of the year.

SEE
Corvette Production May Come To Lansing - WLNS TV 6 Lansing Jackson Michigan News and Weather - WLNS.COM |

 

[njlouc]

It makes a lot of sense??


Move the Corvette plant which is the most specialized plant there is, and probably the most difficult to move? Very costly!
Lansing?? What Corvette employee wants that?

It will take a year or more to move the equipment, and another to get it running. The only thing they could do would be to step up production to have a year's supply in stock while they change over. This means an inventory of many $millions of cars that are normally specially ordered. Even they know that is a bad idea.

OR like they did in the 70's just skip a year++ or a few??

Also the main attraction - the museum would be an orphan.

BTW if the economy picks up (long from now) they may need the production capability. Additionally, I read that GM was starting a new ad campaign. What if it's successful??

These sound possible under the old GM but a bankrupt company cannot afford this on a whim.

Do we see a message here? Like NO corvette??:W

How about a Camaro/Vette with a 5.5l v8?:confused

 

[killain]

Moving . . . ?

If there was ever a bad Idea, this is it ! :ugh

 

[VETTE1973]

they must be crazy!!!

 

[KANE]

they must be crazy!!!

Perhaps the move is more or less to prop up manufacturing in MI.


I think this is another Red State / Blue State thing. Michigan is a blue State and has been blue for a long time. There is more than likely a really nice tax break package on the table for GM to move production back to Michigan.

No big surprise, but the blue states are getting the most stimulus money.

 

[catbert]

Perhaps the move is more or less to prop up manufacturing in MI.


I think this is another Red State / Blue State thing. Michigan is a blue State and has been blue for a long time. There is more than likely a really nice tax break package on the table for GM to move production back to Michigan.

No big surprise, but the blue states are getting the most stimulus money.

Or it could be due to not wanting to keep an entire plant open for 12,000 vehicles a year. there was no problem at 30 - 35,000 Vettes annually. Who knows? It may be all about capacity.

 

[njlouc]

Or it could be due to not wanting to keep an entire plant open for 12,000 vehicles a year. there was no problem at 30 - 35,000 Vettes annually. Who knows? It may be all about capacity.

Yes it is totally political!! Remember it is Gov't Motors.
and yes production is a good excuse, but IF they do make the move there is no reason to have the elaborate chassis and other design/production elements.
That means that if the vette moves to MI say goodbye to the Vette as we know it!!
It will be more of a simplified design like the camaro/Impala.:W

As a matterof fact there is no reason to not make it a model of the Camaro.ad
If it were front drive, it could be designed as a German/Opel/ Buick and built in China!!

 

[KANE]

Or it could be due to not wanting to keep an entire plant open for 12,000 vehicles a year. there was no problem at 30 - 35,000 Vettes annually. Who knows? It may be all about capacity.

You bring up a great point about capacity. Production is waaaaay down from the 35k in '08.

But I'd think it costs an awful lot to move production from one site to another just to consolidate production in Michigan- regardless of what Jeff Daniels says.

 

[njlouc]

I think that any real decision will not be made in any area until it is seen how the Volt takes off (or not).

Remember that GM is in limp mode and is afraid to make any move.
The Volt is expected to be the saviour.

The vette is considered by the govt/environmentalists to be a right wing polluter and earth killer. A two seater carbonizer!!
Why would they keep a car which is a symbol of old style GM extravagance.
He** they may even build the vette on a Volt chassis as a commuter sporty car.

 

[jrose7004]

A move like that would be horrible for the museum!

 

[Copper]

A move like that would be horrible for the museum!

Say it isn't so. I was at the plant and the NCM last year. They belong near each other.

Copper

 

[catbert]

I think that any real decision will not be made in any area until it is seen how the Volt takes off (or not).

Remember that GM is in limp mode and is afraid to make any move.
The Volt is expected to be the saviour.

The vette is considered by the govt/environmentalists to be a right wing polluter and earth killer. A two seater carbonizer!!
Why would they keep a car which is a symbol of old style GM extravagance.
He** they may even build the vette on a Volt chassis as a commuter sporty car.

And you got your information from???????????????? If the Volt is a sellout, it won't save GM unless the bread and butter cars like the Cruze, Equinox, Silverado and Malibu sell well too. The Volt is an investment, not a huge potential money maker...at least at the volume planned for the short term.

 

[LordVader]

Move the Corvette plant which is the most specialized plant there is, and probably the most difficult to move? Very costly!
Lansing?? What Corvette employee wants that?

It will take a year or more to move the equipment, and another to get it running. The only thing they could do would be to step up production to have a year's supply in stock while they change over. This means an inventory of many $millions of cars that are normally specially ordered. Even they know that is a bad idea.

OR like they did in the 70's just skip a year++ or a few??

Also the main attraction - the museum would be an orphan.

BTW if the economy picks up (long from now) they may need the production capability. Additionally, I read that GM was starting a new ad campaign. What if it's successful??

These sound possible under the old GM but a bankrupt company cannot afford this on a whim.

Do we see a message here? Like NO corvette??:W

How about a Camaro/Vette with a 5.5l v8?:confused

When production was moved from St.Louis to Bowling Green, they did not ship a beat, no loss of any production at all as for one month both plants were producing the corvette. the only year the was "skipped" was 83 and the plants moved in 1981. The reason the 83 never made production was quality control issues.

So it is very possible for them to move production, they have done it before.

Mike.

 

[HJZ06]

Anything is possible. If the smart people in GM who started Hummer and Saturn and their great market presence and add the morons in the government with their great wisdom, our Corvette is screwed!

 

[mbwalker]

If the Volt is a sellout.

At $40K a pop, it won't be except for early adopters

 

[Chas]

When production was moved from St.Louis to Bowling Green, they did not ship a beat, no loss of any production at all as for one month both plants were producing the corvette. the only year the was "skipped" was 83 and the plants moved in 1981. The reason the 83 never made production was quality control issues.

So it is very possible for them to move production, they have done it before.

Mike.

The car was born in Michigan.....only fitting it comes back home.
The heart is produced here

 

[BigJimZ16]

The car was born in Michigan.....only fitting it comes back home.
The heart is produced here

All well and good... as long as it's not going home to die!!