Delivery of the supercar’s new mid-engined supercar could be delayed by even small setbacks.
Over 46,000 hourly GM employees are striking across the United States. Three days later, the UAW called off the strike after its contract with GM expired at midnight Sunday. The striking automaker, based in Detroit, is expected to lose approximately $50 million per day in earnings. However, performance enthusiasts outside of the company could face additional costs such as a delay in C8 Corvette manufacturing.
Although we don’t know when 2020 Corvettes will be assembled in Kentucky, the most common rumor has been that it will happen in December. This seems very probable considering the supercar’s July unveil, fast-tracking preorders and aggressive publication of information. We are also close to the Convertible’s Day in the Sun, which will be held October 2. Now it’s time to actually build Corvettes.
However, Torque News raises a good point. Although the strike by the UAW against GM does not affect the entire workforce of the automaker, it is enough to impact Corvette production, even if it doesn’t start running for a few months. The ‘Vette’s LT2 V8 was assembled at the Tonawanda facility of GM. The engine is still required even though the C8’s Bowling Green facility is not affected.
At this stage, it is speculation. The strike has entered its third day, and negotiations seem to be tense. The Detroit Free Press highlighted health care costs and better wages in the case of younger workers. According to the report, GM claims that its UAW workers earn an average of $63 an hour with all compensation.