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Corvette Plant to Close Four Weeks over Three Months
Earlier this month, an administrator on the Mid Engine Corvette Forum wrote that he has confirmation of closures at Kentucky’s Bowling Green Assembly, the sole birthplace of the Corvette since 1981. The plant is closed this week, plus two more weeks in March and one in May, for four reasons, according to the admin: Inventory control, the retirement of “many” employees, physical plant changes for the 2026 model year, and “New 2026 C8 model component changes (other than the ZR1 of course).”
Yesterday, a GM spokesperson confirmed to Automotive News that Bowling Green Assembly is idle this week, “to perform project work and make improvements to our manufacturing processes.” A “source familiar with the plans” confirmed the other three weeks—of March 17 and 24, and May 19—that the plant will be idled.
GM did not comment on the other reasons suggested by the forum admin, though we’ve sent an email to GM asking whether inventory control or retirements are part of the reason, and will update this story if and when we hear back.
We doubt that the closures are related to the ZR1, revealed in July of last year. Order banks for that twin-turbocharged, 1064-horsepower beast opened February 13, and despite the shortages of the high wing (part of the TOM Carbon Fiber Aero Package) and carbon-fiber wheels, we would hope that the major plant changes (such as tooling) for the ZR1 have already been made. Production of customer cars is targeted for the second quarter of 2025, GM confirmed as recently as February 11. That said, an automaker always needs pre-production cars for testing and validation, crash and emissions testing, and display, so just because you may be seeing ZR1s on the streets doesn’t mean that customers are taking delivery.
You can be confident that the news about the closures is true. The reasons remain murky—what sort of “project” is Bowling Green working on? That could mean anything from safety improvements to better air conditioning to sourcing a steady supply of high wings or making sure the paint shop has enough Hysteria Purple. “Updates to the manufacturing process” is similarly vague.
The best news is what we already know: The mid-engine Corvette finally exists, and it’s redefining America’s sports car.
If you’re waiting on a ZR1 order, and have gotten any communications from the plant that shed light on the delays, let us know in the comments below!
I think you will find that they will be doing line maintenance. The plant has run since the C8 arrived with little down time.
Now the Stingray production is caught up they are likely repairing and updating the things they have been putting off. The model change over usually comes the last week of June.
I am not aware of much change to the car. The ZR has a Twin Turbo that is different from the Z06 but that should not be an issue.
I really don’t see this as a big deal. With so little down time things need looked after.
There are skilled trades that work in the plant to do maintenance as needed. There is no reason to shutdown the line. I believe it’s the old supply and demand adjustment. The demand isn’t there so they need to adjust the supply.
Actually when they have to install new paint shops and other areas they can shut down for around 4 weeks to make these changes.
The work crews can change out or repair a worn item. But when they upgrade to new equipment or new part on the line they shut down.
I think it is a bit of both. The Stingray sales have caught up and the line is due for some upgrades. They have stopped the tours too so this is a good indication work has been and will be going on.
Demand has settled to where it needs to be. Often when leading up to a new model they upgrade the paint shops. With the C9 due in 2028 this would be something they would be doing now. Get the bugs worked out on the present car before you change models.
I worked for a GM supplier, and you do need shutdowns for heavy maintenance items. These automated assembly lines need overhauls on a routine basis to remain reliable.
It looks like this is part of it. The wide body cars were slower on the line. With the addition now of the ZR1 to the Z06 they appear to be addressing this. The Z06 was not coming off the line in the numbers they needed so this tends to back this up. They want to move more of the expensive cars now the Stingray orders have caught up.
They say never tell a joke that is not that funny twice.
They also say to never question a stereotype that is 90% true.
I would add to go down to the Bingo parlor: “Idling over to the local C&C”
And change $50K ADP to at least $75K ADP.
Sounds like a normal thing going on here. They will still be making Corvettes so not too much of a change beyond some idle time.
Need to slow production to help ballooning inventory. There are at least 45 new C8 sitting on the dealer lots in my market with more coming. Price discounts are huge and yet they can’t sell these cars. It’s like the real estate market, no body has the money to pay these prices.
The retirement of many employees ?
Come on, give the proper description.
The Dealers have put a bad taste with all of us wanting to buy a ZO6 or the ZR with trying to get over MSRP. Those of us that own Corvetts have had enough of being taken advantage of. Most all of us are true Corvette
owners and have been for a lifetime. The dealers need to start making deals and watch the inventory dissapear.
Chevy Stealerships have been abusing Corvette buyers for many years!
Stop paying huge ADP mark-ups and maybe they will sell a Corvette for ‘only’ MSRP….lol
Nothing new here.
The buyers have been letting the dealers rip them off. No one is holding a gun on them to buy. Sit back and wait then you buy when the time is right.
Shop smarter.
My local dealers are pricing a $5,000 to $10,000 discount on new 2024 and 2025 Corvettes.
At one point there was a list of about 25 dealers who were selling the first C8’s at sticker price. Some had plans in place to discourage “flippers”. I wonder how many are still on the list in 2025?
Driving my 8th Corvette, have never paid MSRP let alone a markup starting with my ’69 Z-28. Guess it really depends on who you choose for a salesman. Start with the guy that’s been there the longest, treat him like a gentleman. Or better yet, go right to the sales manager. The young bucks that cruise the showroom/lot won’t be there next month when they don’t make quota and most don’t know the product as well as you do.
Well here is the scoop from Corvette Rick. He is pretty reliable as one of the biggest Corvette salesman.
I’ve heard from several different sources so we’re getting it on a very good strong rumor that internally at Bowling Green Assembly right now they’re working on reconfiguring the line. So, what do I mean by that? Right now, and I don’t know the exact mix, so I don’t want to say a number and be off, but before it used to be like every seven cars there was a widebody car. And they told us up front that widebody cars…Z06s at the time only were being made that they slow up the line for overall production. A convertible slows the line, a car with front lift slows the line, but they’re trying to reconfigure this line. There may or may not be a plant shutdown so they can actually put more of those stations together to make more widebody cars.”
Rick is right as the wide body cars have been slow in coming as they do take special attention. The Z06 order have been slow as have the start up for the Zr1 so it make sense.
Add this to the fact they can slow Stingray orders some now due to supplies.
They got rid of Jack Cooper. The yards are full. No room for storage. GM won’t put them off site. Only car shipped direct to all50 states